Figure AI builds working humanoid within 1 year

Since exiting stealth mode in January 2023, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Figure AI has swiftly navigated toward commercializing a humanoid under the leadership of founder and CEO Brett Adcock, a seasoned entrepreneur with two successful startups behind him.

Figure’s team includes industry veterans like CTO Jerry Pratt from IHMC, who boasts 20-plus years of experience developing humanoids. The company has also hired employees from Apple, Auris, Boston Dynamics, Nimble Robotics, Rivian, Tesla, and other leading technology companies.

The blistering development path that Figure demonstrated throughout the year is a testament to building and equipping a top-notch team with the right tools to be successful.

The company achieved dynamic bipedal walking with its Figure 01 humanoid in less than one year, which the company claims to be one of the quickest turnarounds in humanoid history. Figure 01 features dexterous manipulation capabilities and, like other humanoid developers, is being designed for logistics applications such as tote moving as potential tasks early on.

During a visit in October 2023, The Robot Report observed Figure’s meticulous approach to product prototyping and sophisticated development infrastructure, highlighting the team's prowess in iterative design and debugging. The integration of a fully dissected robot for software development and electrical system troubleshooting underscores the depth of expertise within Figure's ranks, showcasing the company's maturity despite its relative youth.

Starting in October, the company began to show progress through key milestones, including manipulation tasks, untethered walking, and real work demonstrations.

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