Figure AI advances humanoid robotics with AI-powered innovation, rapid rollouts

According to its recent article, Interesting Engineering highlights that Figure AI is making significant strides in the development of humanoid robots, thanks to its innovative use of artificial intelligence and rapid product rollouts. 

Figure AI has announced the signing of its second major commercial partner, bringing the vision of humanoid robots transitioning from labs to everyday life closer than ever. CEO Brett Adcock stated that the deal could enable the shipment of 100,000 humanoid robots within the next four years.

While the identity of the new customer remains confidential, Adcock suggested that it is “one of the biggest US companies,” leading to speculation that it might be a large retailer or a tech company with substantial labor requirements.

Adcock shared his comments in a LinkedIn update, where he highlighted the significance of building strong relationships with high-capacity clients rather than spreading the company’s resources too thin by working with numerous smaller ones. “Our newest customer is one of the biggest U.S. companies,” Adcock remarked.

“It gives us potential to ship at high volumes which will drive cost reduction and AI data collection. Between both customers, we believe there is a path to 100,000 robots over the next four years.”

The company’s first publicly identified client is automotive giant BMW, which joined late last year. This latest development sets the stage for a major leap toward the widespread use of humanoid robots, particularly in large-scale industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare.

Adcock also reaffirmed Figure AI’s dual-market approach. “We’re focused on two markets: commercial and home,” he stated. While the commercial side could involve distribution centers, factories, and other industrial environments, the home market presents opportunities for robots assisting with everything from everyday household tasks to more specialized roles in healthcare.

Figure AI is notable for the speed at which it rolls out new products. The company introduced its first humanoid, Figure 01, just 31 months after its founding and followed it up with the release of Figure 02. Reports also suggest that Figure 03 is "up and running in the lab," signaling the company’s continuous push for enhanced performance and functionality.

Figure 01, which debuted in January 2024, operated at about 17 percent of an average human’s walking speed. The current model, Figure 02, has reportedly increased that pace by seven times, moving at 3.9 feet (1.2 meters) per second, roughly 2.68 miles per hour. While still slower than a typical human stride, Figure remains confident that further improvements are on the horizon.

A key feature of Figure’s robots is their dependence on artificial intelligence. “Last week, we successfully began running an end-to-end neural network on the new client’s use case,” Adcock shared in his update. “Learning the use case with AI is the only path here as heuristics would be impossible to write.”

He also noted that each instance of these AI-driven policies in action “feels like pure magic,” emphasizing the potential for self-learning robots to rapidly adapt to a wide range of tasks.

By Naila Huseynova