tech

While Tesla's Optimus was still making a show at the launch event, Figure 02 had already started its internship in the factory.

01

The Strongest Humanoid Robot on Earth

On August 6th local time, the second-generation humanoid robot Figure 02 was unveiled, taking a step closer to the goal of selling mass-produced humanoid robots to industrial users. It was hailed as "the most advanced AI hardware on Earth" as soon as it hit the market. The robot has undergone a complete redesign in both hardware and software, including upgrades to key technologies such as artificial intelligence systems, computer vision, battery packs, electronic devices, sensors, and actuators.

In terms of appearance, Figure 02 features a brand-new exoskeleton structure, which not only enhances the robot's load capacity and reliability but also makes the overall design more stylish and integrated. Additionally, it is equipped with dexterous hands with 16 degrees of freedom, capable of performing human-like hand operations and possessing strength comparable to that of humans.

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In terms of performance, Figure 02's overall performance has been tripled, with an advanced visual system and processing capabilities. Its battery pack capacity has increased by 50%, reaching 2.25KWh, allowing the robot to achieve more than 20 hours of actual effective working time per day.

Furthermore, Figure 02 also comes with a reasoning model (VLM) customized by OpenAI, working in conjunction with six cameras, enabling it to perform semantic-based and rapid common-sense visual reasoning.

The reason Figure 02 has attracted so much attention is related to the support from a number of influential institutions behind it.Tech Titans Compete in "Embodied Intelligence"

In May 2022, serial entrepreneur Adcock founded the humanoid robotics company Figure Al, dedicated to "addressing severe labor shortages and reducing the number of workers engaged in dangerous tasks." In Adcock's vision, the initial applications of humanoid robots would be in industries with the most severe labor shortages, such as manufacturing, shipping and logistics, warehousing, and retail.

Following Tesla's release of its first-generation humanoid robot "Optimus" in 2022 and the surge of large model trends since the end of 2022, the concept of "embodied intelligence" has gained significant popularity, making humanoid robot startups the new darlings of capital.

At the end of February this year, Figure Al raised a financing round of up to $675 million, attracting star institutions and investors including Nvidia, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Bezos. This funding round propelled Figure Al's valuation to $2.6 billion. Figure Al also announced a collaboration with OpenAI to develop the next generation of artificial intelligence models for humanoid robots.

Figure Al truly "broke through" when it showcased a human-robot interaction video on social media in March this year. Thirteen days after collaborating with OpenAI, Figure 01 was able to interact with humans in language and autonomously complete instructed actions under the support of OpenAI's visual language model. Throughout the process, OpenAI's large models were responsible for visual reasoning and language understanding, while Figure Al's neural networks handled the rapid and agile robotic movements.

At the time, Figure Al was seen as the embodiment of "embodied intelligence," where the core of embodied intelligent humanoid robots lies in combining artificial intelligence with direct interaction with the physical world. These robots not only possess highly realistic physical structures but also have strong perception, decision-making, and mobility capabilities, enabling them to perform various complex tasks.

From a technical perspective, the development of embodied intelligent humanoid robots relies on the integration of several key technological modules, including motion control, sensing technology, and artificial intelligence algorithms. For instance, OmniH2O has achieved various methods of human control over full-size dexterous hand humanoid robots through kinematic posture as a universal control interface, including real-time remote operation via VR headsets, voice commands, and RGB cameras.

Furthermore, Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot has also demonstrated force control capabilities in its continuous iterations and released the Gen1 version in 2023.What makes the appearance of Figure 02 particularly strong this time?

03

Where does Figure 02 excel?

Compared to the first-generation product released in 2023, Figure 02 has undergone innovations in both hardware and software. The most eye-catching technical feature is undoubtedly Figure 02's agile hand manipulation and significantly enhanced conversational visual capabilities, with on-board computing and AI inference capabilities increased by three times compared to its predecessor.

According to official statements, Figure 02 is motor-driven, stands at 5 feet 6 inches tall, and weighs 70 kilograms, specifically designed to work in human environments. The battery capacity has increased by 50% compared to the previous model, allowing for 5 hours of operation on a single charge, with a movement speed of 1.2 meters per second.

Endurance is one of the technical challenges faced by humanoid robots, with most currently available models only able to last for 1 to 2 hours. However, Brett Adcock, the founder and CEO of Figure, has expressed his hope that Figure 02 will be able to work effectively for over 20 hours a day.

In terms of specific performance, with the support of a large AI model, Figure 02 can engage in voice interactions with humans through its built-in microphone and speaker. Six RGB cameras are also embedded in the front and back of Figure 02's head and torso to perceive and understand the physical world. With the embedded Visual Language Model (VLM), the cameras on Figure 02 can quickly perform common-sense visual reasoning. Compared to the previous generation, Figure 02's computational reasoning capabilities have been tripled.

Figure 02 also has some unique features in other aspects. For example, it fully adopts an exoskeleton structure, with the robot's power supply and computing power cabling integrated within the body, thereby increasing the robot's reliability and resulting in a more compact enclosure.Additionally, the latest design of the fourth-generation hand device features 16 degrees of freedom (DoF) and strength comparable to that of humans, capable of carrying up to 25 kilograms and flexibly performing a variety of tasks akin to human actions. Each finger is driven by a unit integrated with a sensor and motor, while the wrist represents another innovative design, offering a range of motion similar to the human wrist and encapsulating all power sources and sensor signal lines to the hand and fingers.

Beyond the application of Figure02 in BMW's factory, we have observed that robots such as Agility Robotics' Digit, Apptronik's Apollo, Tesla's Optimus, and Boston Dynamics' Atlas are either planned or already being tested and deployed in scenarios like logistics and automotive manufacturing. This indicates that the practicality of humanoid robots is gaining recognition across an increasing number of industries.

Looking ahead, robot manufacturers represented by Figure AI are expected to continue honing their hardware capabilities while also strengthening collaborations with large model vendors like OpenAI, propelling revolutionary advancements in robotic technology.

In fact, beyond the iteration of its own performance, Figure 02 garners attention also because it has already begun to "work" in factories.

04

Internship at BMW's Factory

In the context where large models have yet to achieve sufficient intelligence for humanoid robots, it has become a common choice for several humanoid robot companies to first land in factory scenarios rather than consumer scenarios with high human density.

In January of this year, Figure AI announced a collaboration with BMW, with the first phase determining the initial use cases for humanoid robots in automobile production, followed by a phased deployment at BMW's Spartanburg factory.

Prior to the release of Figure 02, on July 2nd, an official video showed Figure 01 "training" in a BMW workshop, learning to grasp the automotive structural framework and then installing it onto a fixture, with the capability for autonomous error correction. Due to its slow operating speed, many voices felt that "the performance looks quite poor."In the "debut" video of Figure 02, there is a scene where five robots are "training" in a BMW workshop, but their movements are still relatively slow. Officials claim that the main purpose is to collect training data and train for specific tasks.

05

Humanoid robots entering the factory one after another

Figure 02 is not the only humanoid robot entering the factory. Undoubtedly, Figure Al is the current hot "Silicon Valley darling." However, in the race of humanoid robots, Figure Al still has to compete with strong rivals such as Tesla, Google, Boston Dynamics, Apptronik, and Agility Robotics.

It is reported that Agility Robotics' Digit and Apptronik's Apollo have been deployed in the logistics supplier GXO Logistics to perform relatively simple tasks. Digit and Apollo have also been tested in Amazon and Mercedes-Benz, respectively.

What is more intriguing is that as two highly watched embodied intelligence projects in the technology industry, Figure is often compared with Tesla's Optimus by the outside world. When Figure Al claims that Figure 02 has the "world's most advanced AI hardware," some netizens question that the improvements made by these Figure 02 were already being done by Tesla seven months ago, and it is difficult for Figure 02 to be called the "most advanced."

On August 5, UBTECH, a representative enterprise of humanoid robots in our country, just announced a strategic cooperation with Geely and Tianqi Shares. UBTECH will assist Geely in the transformation and upgrading of electrification and intelligence; Geely will provide application scenarios for UBTECH's industrial humanoid robot Walker S series and solutions; Tianqi Shares will participate in providing production line data collection, process model development, and scenario improvement design for humanoid robot application training.

In early July, UBTECH WalkerSLite began "training" at the Geely Holding Group's JiKrypton 5G smart factory, mainly responsible for coordinating with employees to handle the transportation at the CTU warehouse input material position. WalkerS Lite is a new lightweight and fast deployment product launched by UBTECH for the fields of intelligent manufacturing and smart logistics. UBTECH stated that this is the first humanoid robot in the country to fully execute and demonstrate the material box handling task in the entire process, and its task completion and execution difficulty are among the industry's forefront.As of now, UBTECH has signed cooperation agreements with automobile manufacturers such as NIO, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor, and FAW-Volkswagen.

From a technical perspective, typical applications of humanoid robots in the manufacturing industry include material handling, picking and placing, quality inspection, labeling, assembly, intelligent inspection, and high-risk operations. The diversity of these application scenarios further demonstrates the wide applicability and potential of humanoid robots in industrial manufacturing.

In the future, with continuous technological advancements and policy support, humanoid robots are expected to be widely applied in more industrial scenarios, promoting the development of intelligent manufacturing.