Figure AI has just unveiled the latest version of its humanoid robot, and it looks mighty impressive.
As we deduced from the teaser footage released earlier in the week, the new robot, Figure 03, is geared toward helping around the home.
A video (top) released by the California-based company on Thursday shows Figure 03 clad in some rather fetching knitwear, presenting a more homely feel compared to the mechanical look of its predecessor.
Marvel at how the robot prepares a dishwasher, waters the plants, tidies a room, loads a washing machine, folds the laundry, serves drinks, and … well … is there anything this robot butler can’t do?
Probably not, as it’s designed to work with Helix, Figure’s proprietary vision-language-action AI. So if it’s presented with a task that it hasn’t already been trained for, it can learn it. So yes, unblocking a toilet could become one of its talents, too.
Figure 03 comes with an improved head-based vision system to help it better understand its environment. It also has embedded palm cameras that allow visual feedback when the view from the main cameras is blocked.
It also features enhanced audio hardware, with larger, more powerful speakers and a better-positioned microphone for improved speech processing.
Newly designed hands are part of the package, too, with forces as low as 3 grams able to be detected, enabling delicate grip control.
The new robot charges wirelessly by stepping onto a charging mat, so it can power up by itself as needed throughout the day, enabling pretty much continuous operation.
Notably, Figure 03 has been designed for mass production, which will help to reduce costs.
“Moving from Figure 02 to Figure 03 required redesigning nearly every component of the robot with manufacturability and cost in mind,” the company said. “The mechanical and electrical engineering teams aggressively reduced part count, assembly steps, and any components that were not absolutely critical to meet design requirements.”
It’s also built a dedicated manufacturing facility called BotQ that’s designed to scale robot production. The facility will have an initial production capacity of up to 12,000 humanoid robots per year, with the goal of producing 100,000 robots over the next four years.
Figure said that while Thursday’s launch focuses primarily on the robot’s capability for the home, it’s still aiming to put the robot in the workforce, performing tasks like picking and packing, sorting, and handling heavy items.
But as ever, the big question is, “When can I buy one of these and how much will it cost?” Digital Trends has reached out to Figure for more information and we’ll update this report when we hear back.
