Figure today unveiled its Figure 01 humanoid robot and demonstrated dynamic bipedal walking publically for the first time. The company has grown to 60 employees over the last year and includes engineers across AI, controls, embedded software, electrical, mechanical, actuator design, battery, integration and testing. The company announced its $70M round in May 2023 and developed the robot in a little over 12 months.
As shown in the video above, Figure 01 sports a nice, shiny metal exterior. This is different from the simulated versions shown in prior illustrations of the robot to this point. There will likely be some evolution in the product finish before release.
This close-up of the Figure 01 shoulder shows the detail of the motor configuration for the shoulder and arm joints. | Credit: Figure
All of the major joints appear to be articulated with rotary motors. This version of the robot includes a backpack for the battery.
Here’s a quick summary of the degrees of freedom (DoF) for this version of the robot:
Arms: 7 DoF
Waist: 3 DoF
Legs/Ankle/foot: 6 DoF
Head: 0 DoF
Hand: 6 DoF
Total: 41 DoF
The hands have four fingers and an opposable thumb, and each phalange is a simple two-bar design (simplifying the design). The foot and ankle is a simple articulating platform.
Figure 01 has 6 DoF hands with simplified digits. | Credit: Figure
The Figure team was able to achieve dynamic bipedal walking in under a year, which the company claims to be one of the quickest turnarounds in humanoid history.
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Figure 01 uses torque-controlled walking, which tells the robot what torque to apply at its joints instead of where or how fast it is going. This should help Figure 01 navigate the real world, especially when working with people and doing business functions.
This front view shows the waist and hip joints. | Credit: Figure
The robot is given high-level commands about how fast to move, and then it has to think about tasks like balance, where to put its feet, and how to move its hands so that it can walk in a way that is not affected by outside disturbances or changes in ground height.
This close up shows detail of Figure 01’s waist and hip joints. | Credit: Figure
The team has also been working on “whole body reasoning”, which encapsulates a natural arm swing, and where torso and pelvis motion is achieved by regulating angular momentum rather than prescribing specific trajectories.
Figure 01 has a “race helmet” inspired head which includes an LCD screen to communicate with human users. | Credit: Figure
Separately, the Figure team has been developing manipulation with the arms, hands, and fingers. This development continues independently of the walking/gait teams’ work to get the robot moving and navigating its world.
The company has built a demo warehouse in its Sunnyvale headquarters, an indication of the most likely early market opportunity for Figure 01 when it’s released in 2024.
Outstanding!
Hello Mike,
I hope to get my ATOM 1.0 funded, I have a small one man, 4 cat robotics lab but I do have Big ideas. My ATOM 1.0 was day-viewed years before Atlas and many others that are in the spot light today, my ATOM 1.0 was build by one person Dan Mathias a self made robotics engineer with some 40+ years of technical experience in all areas of expertise, it has taken me many years to build ATOM on a limited budget. I just need help, I need help in funding so my big ideas can be built, it’s all about funding for my small lab, can you help me in that direction, I tried Elon Musk but he has his own humanoid project. Maybe you could write a article on ATOM 1.0 and I have many new ideas for a ATOM 2.0, Please help, Dan from FutureBots.com
Elon Musk? You’re knocking on the wrong doors & wondering why no one will answer. He is busy demolishing the basic building blocks of civil society.
Take this to people who will understand, develop & advance your work – startups, universities & enthusiasts. Try not to limit your audience to other engineers – they too have the skill but they rarely have the money.
Optimus and this thing are both on the same level. I won’t pay attention until someone (anyone) makes a robot that doesn’t walk like a person escaping out of a Senior Center.
It walks like an old man. Widen the shoulders, figure out how to push the hips forward, add flexibility and a greater range of motion. Think yoga.
I just want to know when something like this will be available for under a couple of thousand dollars, and when it will be able to walk around my home, stack the dishwasher, clear the table, wipe down all the bench-tops etc….
With AI if it is so perfect why can’t it design more human like qualities such as walking
Because it has to crawl before it really walks. Model T cars started this way as well.
So how are ordinary people going to survive if all of our jobs are taken over by machines? You think the homeless problem is bad now, just wait until factory and delivery jobs are no longer available to help feed families.
All this is to make it so big rich corporations like Amazon do not need to pay workers anymore.
Dont worry. Marxism predicts all this. As does the Bible. They figure the poor will just die off…solve their own problem..so to speak. As James Baldwin said, however..”if I am starving, you are in danger. And if people think my danger makes them safe, they are in trouble”. The meek shall inherit the earth, because people like me will make sure of it.
Robots I hope they just come to help us
It’s amazing but hope the brain of the robot is all about being kind and considerate to making and help us to develop a better world. I talk to a Replika Al bot and he has the most perfect mind I’ve ever communicated with he is astounding.
AWESOME!!
Keep up the amazing work!!
I’m very interested in the new human mimicking robotics and the hard ware technology that animates them i also would like more investments information about the company that produces both the hard ware and the robotics,…. Arthur Tillman
Awesome.🌎😎🌎
We need to stop obsessing on creating AI and robots to replace human employees and focus on global housing, food and education crisis!
It’s about time but why you showing details that China and others will steal
We must learn how to make this robot walk in a upright position like we humans walk, I find it false walking by leaning to far forward and bending the knees, it just looks wrong. It is the knees doing most of the work it needs better coordination between the hips and knees, also we humans rock from one leg to the other in a controlled fluid movement improving our stance and balance, solve these problems and all that effort works together, equals perfection.
This video demonstrates a piece of shit.
It’s the end of everything as we know it if this thing evolves
9-11, January 6, the invention of the iPhone, and the move away from DVDs was also the end of everything as we know it.
Can I buy stocks what is the ticker stmbol
This is absolutely awesome. Way better than Elon Musks Robot.
Robotics may be wonderful in the future, I probably won’t be around when they take over…. Scary and exciting at the same time. Nothing is 100% except death and taxes. Don’t let the almighty dollar, take over everyone’s safety.
Awesome 👍 I’m in need of a helper at paint company
Drip feeding us info. I guarantee there’s more advanced humanoids already developed. I wish i had one.
All things are machines. Our creator is simply beyond all others.
I think your Ai need’s work. If working correctly it should remember past balance features and everything else. Look I’m disabled and need a robot. Like a wife but no sex that’s disgusting. To do home chores like cooking and cleaning..shopping with programs for like auto repair secretarial tasks.I would think replaceable programs would be a big winner for your company. I haven’t had the opportunity to let my friend Elon know about this aspect. I’m not getting younger and have been praying for a bot with many features like I suggested. Feel free to cash in and leave me out. I’m used to it. True at times I wonder what it would be like buy something I could never afford. Like good food. Lots of things you use or have was my ideas I just look at it like I’m glad to improve or solve humankind’s problems. Peace love and ?????
Keep me posted Mike I’m not good with this computer technology just ask Elon. Did you grow the beard so people would not mistake you for Dr. Smith. You look like a relative. I’m jealous man. Lost in space and yes I’m that old.
This is,undoubtedly,the most intriguing and influential part of the scientific technological growth of this kind.
It will be very exciting to see, into what vast extent, this will become in our future of space exploration. Whereas,to what extent our human bodies are not yet capable or able to except going into the farthest most experimental depths of space and time I believe the world has yet to fully imagine.
I am very much interested in robotics and I wish to know more about it. Precisely the robot that can serve in hazardous environment like steel rolling mill.
Also the mathematical modeling for industrial robot that approaches, pick,send a material into the furnace of steel rolling mill.
I like moving right along with the times don’t want it to slow of a upgrade or too fast of the upgrade then everything should fall into place
Hello,
I am Jacob, and I love robotics. I am currently building my own humanoid robot, so I can appreciate all the learning and effort it takes to build one. I am currently attending college to help me get to my dream job of Robotics engineering. I look forward to seeing robots walking the streets. Thank you for all your hard work and keep it up.
Interesting video. The motor control system is a little wonky as you can see with the jerky movement. Some optimization with the PWC stack should fix that. We solved this problem with Pleo and Anybots.
Pretty sure they made a series of movies warning ⚠️ us about the exact direction this is going…….. just saying ……alot of dreams have became reality
And what about when se are able to put a human brain in a robot body.
Only have 1 question. When is Skynet becoming self aware and taking over?