Everything on Figure
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Nvidia Has Discussed Another $1 Billion Investment in Figure, The Information Reports
October 7, 2026
The reported talks come as Figure pursues its multibillion-dollar Nscale compute agreement and Index training-data project. No completed deal has been established.
Figure Melts Figure 02 With Arnold Schwarzenegger in a Terminator-Style Sendoff
September 30, 2026
Figure’s farewell film takes its retired humanoids to a furnace in Finland, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, a final thumbs-up and bonus jumps into the molten metal.
Figure’s Multibillion-Dollar Compute Deal Meets Nscale’s Data-Center Buildout Challenge
September 30, 2026
New reporting highlights the financing and construction behind Nscale’s expansion, adding context to Figure’s future GPU capacity without establishing a delay to its deal.
Hasta La Vista, Figure 02: Adcock Teases a Terminator-Style Sendoff
September 28, 2026
An AI-generated teaser points to September 30 after Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested melting Figure’s retired robots—overruling, perhaps, a poll that favored blowing them up.
Figure Joins NVIDIA’s Open Agent Safety Platform as Humanoid Deployment Approaches
September 28, 2026
Figure backs NVIDIA’s agent-safety initiative, while Gecko’s CEO outlines inspection robots working within human-set limits. How the platform will be integrated into Figure’s robots remains undisclosed.
Brett Adcock Says Humanoids Will Need More Data and Compute Than LLMs
September 23, 2026
Sharing Humanoids Daily’s interview clip, Figure’s CEO expands his four-stage roadmap and predicts hundreds of billions in spending to scale robot intelligence and manufacturing.
Brett Adcock Says Figure 04 Will Be Figure’s Biggest Hardware Leap
September 18, 2026
On RoboStrategy, Figure’s CEO outlines four chapters for humanoid robotics, explains the limits of Helix 2.5 and teases a major Figure 04 redesign.
Figure’s Helix 2.5 Takes on Chores in 30 Unseen Homes
September 17, 2026
Figure reports 56% full-task success for Helix 2.5 across 30 unfamiliar homes, testing whether human-data pretraining transfers to household chores.
Brett Adcock’s vehicle clip echoes Figure 03’s delivery demo
September 14, 2026
A short clip of a Figure robot stepping out of a vehicle recalls its earlier parcel-delivery footage, but no delivery service has been announced in the post.
Figure AI Reports Rapid Growth for Index, Surpassing 69,000 Weekly Active Users
September 8, 2026
Two weeks after emerging from stealth, Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock shared growth metrics for Index, reporting nearly 70,000 weekly active users uploading 35 minutes of human interaction video every second.
Figure Inks Multi-Billion-Dollar Compute Deal With Nscale to Deploy 100,000 Next-Gen NVIDIA GPUs
September 3, 2026
Figure AI has partnered with cloud infrastructure provider Nscale to deploy up to 100,000 NVIDIA Vera Rubin GPUs, committing an initial $3.5 billion to train its Helix robotics models.
Sam Altman Confirms OpenAI "Will Definitely Do a Humanoid"
September 2, 2026
In an appearance on the Sources podcast, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman unequivocally confirmed that the AI lab will build humanoid robots alongside specialized data center machines.
Figure AI Unveils Index: Crowdsourcing Real-World Human Video to Train Helix
August 25, 2026
Figure AI has exited stealth on Index, a crowdsourced data-collection platform that has gathered over 16 million video uploads across 108 countries to train its Helix neural network.
Figure AI Demonstrates 15-Foot Autonomous Ladder Ascent and Descent for Industrial Mezzanines
August 24, 2026
Figure CEO Brett Adcock shared video of a Figure 03 humanoid autonomously climbing up and down a 15-foot ladder, confirming the vertical locomotion milestone maps directly to an active customer use case.
Figure CEO Brett Adcock Claims Humanoids Are Already Delivering ROI Amid Severe Labor Shortages
August 16, 2026
In a recent podcast appearance, Figure founder Brett Adcock pushed back against humanoid hype, arguing that the true bottleneck is onboard intelligence, not hardware manufacturing, and claiming early customers are already seeing a real-world return on investment.
The Great Dexterity Divide: Why Robotics Leaders Are Warring Over Tendon vs. Direct-Drive Hands
August 14, 2026
Figure CEO Brett Adcock dismissed tendon-driven hands as a "complete local maximum," igniting a fierce debate with Foundation over friction, force, and the future of humanoid manipulation.
Stepping Up: Figure 03 Achieves Autonomous Ladder Climbing, Reigniting the Bipedal Debate
August 4, 2026
Figure CEO Brett Adcock has revealed footage of the Figure 03 autonomously climbing a ladder, a milestone he used to declare wheeled robots an "utter dead end."
A Golden Milestone: Figure Manufactures Its 1,000th Figure 03 Humanoid
July 26, 2026
Figure CEO Brett Adcock announces the production of the 1,000th Figure 03 robot at the company’s BotQ facility, celebrating the milestone with a C-3PO-inspired golden humanoid.
Back to Spartanburg: Figure 03 Deploys at BMW for Complex Logistics Sequencing
June 26, 2026
Following the retirement of its second-generation fleet, Figure returns to BMW’s South Carolina plant with Figure 03 to tackle complex material sorting and sequencing tasks.
Figure Completes $100 Million Employee Tender Offer as Robotics Talent War Intensifies
June 2, 2026
Figure CEO Brett Adcock announced a massive secondary liquidity event for employees, sparking an industry-wide debate on compensation, equity risk, and corporate milestones in the humanoid robotics sector.
Figure Inks Commercial Deal with Catalyst Brands for Large-Scale Humanoid Deployment
May 26, 2026
The $39 billion robotics startup is taking its humanoid fleet to a major retail distribution center in Reno, marking the first commercial bridge with a portfolio company of mutual investor Brookfield.
Figure AI Pops Champagne as Autonomous Marathon Crosses 200 Hours Without Hardware Failure
May 22, 2026
What started as a modest 8-hour challenge just transformed into an unprecedented 200-hour endurance flex. Here is how Brett Adcock’s multi-day robotics marathon finally ended (with bubbly, of course).
Man vs. Machine: Figure AI Intern Edges Out Humanoid Fleet in 10-Hour Sorting Challenge
May 18, 2026
Figure AI pitted a human intern against its Figure 03 autonomous humanoid fleet in a head-to-head package sorting trial. While humanity secured a narrow victory, the machine fleet proved its real value through unbroken persistence.
Beyond the 60-Hour Mark: Figure AI’s Endurance Marathon Signals Playbook for Figure 4 and Supply Chain Independence
May 16, 2026
Figure's unedited autonomous livestream has crossed 61 hours, sorting over 80,000 packages. CEO Brett Adcock addresses teleoperation skepticism, details a total shift away from Chinese supply chains, and teases Figure 4 as an "iPhone 1 moment" for robotics.
Figure AI’s 8-Hour Gamble Becomes a Livestream Marathon: over 33,000 Packages and No "Robot Failures"
May 14, 2026
What began as a one-shift challenge has evolved into a multi-day endurance test for Figure’s Helix-02 neural network, as the company’s "Bob, Frank, and Gary" units attempt to hold the line under the gaze of thousands of live viewers.
Live Now: Figure 03 Hits Blistering 2.6-Second Throughput in 8-Hour Unedited Shift
May 13, 2026
Figure AI has launched its promised 8-hour livestream. While the robot is crushing its sub-3-second speed targets, some viewers are questioning the narrow scope of the demonstration.
The "iPhone 1 Moment": Figure 04 Reaches Full Design Lock
May 13, 2026
Figure CEO Brett Adcock announces that the company’s next-generation humanoid, Figure 04, has entered production preparation, marking a radical shift in engineering and manufacturability.
’We’ll Do It Live’: Brett Adcock Promises Livestream After Endurance Challenge from Scott Walter
May 12, 2026
Following a public challenge regarding the industrial utility of humanoids, Figure CEO Brett Adcock has committed to a live broadcast of the company's autonomous operations to prove 24/7 reliability.
Industrial Armor: Persona AI and Under Armour Partner to Develop "Performance Gear" for Humanoids
May 11, 2026
Persona AI is collaborating with Under Armour to research advanced textiles for robots operating in extreme environments, signaling a shift toward specialized protective layers for industrial humanoids.
Collaborative Clean: Figure Demonstrates Multi-Robot Bedroom Reset via Helix 02
May 8, 2026
Figure reveals a major software milestone as two F.03 humanoids coordinate autonomously to tidy a bedroom and make a bed without a central controller.
Hardware First, Brains Later? The Great American Humanoid Scale-Up of 2026
May 8, 2026
As major U.S. robotics firms shift from prototypes to mass production, a clear divide is emerging between the maturity of mechanical hardware and the intelligence of the AI driving it.
Inside the Campus: Figure’s Plan for 24/7 Autonomy and Leasable Home Robots
May 1, 2026
In the second half of an extensive facility tour, CEO Brett Adcock details Figure’s "Never Fall" protocol, wireless inductive charging, and the roadmap for embodied AGI.
The Adcock Triad: Inside the $1M-a-Month Sprint to General Robotics
April 30, 2026
In a new interview with Molly O’Shea, Figure CEO Brett Adcock details the aggressive vertical integration of his robotics empire, his split with OpenAI, and why he is building three companies at once.
24x Throughput: Figure Scales Manufacturing to One Robot Per Hour
April 29, 2026
Figure has reached a major manufacturing milestone at its BotQ facility, scaling production to one Figure 03 unit every hour while debuting a new perception-conditioned whole-body controller.
The Shape of Scale: New Figure Production Data Hints at Exponential Ramp-Up
April 22, 2026
A chart from CEO Brett Adcock reveals a dramatic surge in humanoid manufacturing at Figure's BotQ facility, though exact volume remains a subject of intense speculation.
Vulcan: Figure Unveils AI Balance Policy That Prevents 'Death' From Hardware Failure
April 16, 2026
Figure CEO Brett Adcock has demonstrated 'Vulcan,' a new neural network controller that allows the Figure 03 to maintain balance and autonomously navigate to a repair bay even after losing up to three lower-body actuators.
Compute War Chest: Figure and Hark Secure Full Datacenter of NVIDIA B200s
April 11, 2026
CEO Brett Adcock announces a massive procurement of Blackwell GPUs to power physics prediction for Figure and next-generation multimodal models for Hark, as motivational speaker Tony Robbins visits HQ.
Autonomy vs. Teleop: Brett Adcock Defends Figure 03 Amidst "Smoking Gun" Skepticism
April 5, 2026
After a clip from the Shawn Ryan Show sparked allegations of human-in-the-loop operation, Figure CEO Brett Adcock is doubling down on the company’s commitment to full autonomy, starting with its White House debut.
Figure Claims Production Milestone as "BotQ" Ramps Up Figure 03 Manufacturing
April 1, 2026
Figure CEO Brett Adcock announced that March 2026 was the company’s most productive month in its history, signaling a shift toward mass-market scale at its California-based BotQ facility.
"I Fired Them": Brett Adcock on the OpenAI Split, Robot Self-Repair, and the Kid-Safety Test
March 30, 2026
In a candid appearance on the Shawn Ryan Show, Figure CEO Brett Adcock discusses the technical and strategic friction that led to dissolving the OpenAI partnership, the 'limp mode' resilience of the Figure 03, and why he still won't let his robots roam free around his children.
Figure 03 Makes White House Debut at "Fostering the Future Together" Summit
March 25, 2026
In a high-profile diplomatic showcase, Figure CEO Brett Adcock joined First Lady Melania Trump to introduce the Figure 03 humanoid to the White House, signaling a new era of American robotics and Hark-powered AI integration.
Figure 03 Hits "Human Parity" in Package Sorting, Adcock Claims Sub-3-Second Throughput
March 24, 2026
Following a viral stress-test video, Figure CEO Brett Adcock reveals new metrics for the Figure 03 humanoid, claiming it has achieved human-level speed in logistics tasks.
Benioff Stress-Tests Figure 03: Faster Throughput and Reactive Autonomy
March 24, 2026
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff shared a hands-on look at the new Figure 03 humanoid, demonstrating the robot’s ability to handle real-time disruptions and increased sorting speeds.
Living Room Ready: Watch How Figure 03 Tackles Domestic Tidying with Helix 02
March 9, 2026
Figure CEO Brett Adcock unveils a new milestone for the Figure 03, demonstrating "whole body, end-to-end" autonomous cleaning of a living room powered by the Helix 02 neural architecture.
BMW Reflections: Why the Spartanburg Pilot Succeeded and Why Figure 02 Had to Die
February 27, 2026
New details from BMW and Figure AI reveal that while the Spartanburg pilot was a cultural and operational success, the "brute force" architecture of the Figure 02 was insufficient for global scaling.
Lights-Out in Sunnyvale: Figure 03 Fleet Shifts to 24/7 Autonomous Operation
February 22, 2026
Figure CEO Brett Adcock has shared a look at the company’s "no babysitter" operations, detailing a fleet-wide autonomous docking and swapping system across a rapidly expanding five-building footprint.
Video: Figure Offers First Look at 7th-Gen Hand Aiming for "Human Parity"
February 14, 2026
Figure CEO Brett Adcock has shared a sneak peek of the company’s 7th-generation robotic hand, showcasing advanced degrees of freedom including thumb rotation and finger abduction/adduction.
The End of C++: Brett Adcock on Helix 02 and Figure’s Path to "Room-Scale" Autonomy
February 12, 2026
In a revealing interview with Peter Diamandis, Figure CEO Brett Adcock details the total removal of hand-engineered code, the launch of his new AI lab HARK, and the timeline for robots building robots at Figure’s "BotQ" facility.
The Dishwasher Wars: Figure Fires Back at Sunday Robotics with Glassware Demo
January 28, 2026
After Sunday Robotics CEO Tony Zhao critiqued Figure’s dishwasher demonstration for only using plastic, Figure CEO Brett Adcock responded with a new video of the Figure 03 handling delicate glassware.
From Pixels to Torque: Figure Unveils Helix 02 and the Era of Whole-Body Autonomy
January 27, 2026
Figure AI has revealed Helix 02, a unified neural network model that enables the Figure 03 robot to navigate and manipulate environments simultaneously, moving past the "walk-then-act" limitations of traditional humanoid systems.
Jogging Bots and Unsupervised Chores: Figure’s Aggressive 2026 Roadmap
January 26, 2026
CEO Brett Adcock reveals new fitness milestones, 2026 home deployment predictions, and the hardware that might finally bring humanoid robots into the living room.
Figure 03 Sprints in New Video, Answering Tesla's Challenge
December 4, 2025
Responding directly to Tesla's latest update, Brett Adcock shares footage of the Figure 03 running, fueling a debate on the closing gap between robotic and human motion.
Ex-Safety Head Sues Figure AI, Alleging Retaliation Over "Skull-Fracturing" Robot Risks
November 22, 2025
A lawsuit filed by Figure’s former safety lead Rob Gruendel alleges he was fired for warning that the company’s robots were powerful enough to kill—a claim that complicates the startup’s aggressive push into the home.
Figure Retires the F.02: ''Battle-Scarred'' Robots, 30,000 BMWs, and Hard Lessons Learned
November 19, 2025
After an 11-month deployment at BMW''s Spartanburg plant, Figure is retiring its F.02 fleet. The company released detailed performance data and footage of the worn, grimy hardware that contributed to the production of 30,000 vehicles.
The Great Valuation Chasm: A 2025 Guide to the Humanoid Robotics Capital Race
November 16, 2025
A definitive analysis of the humanoid robotics landscape in late 2025. We rank the highest-valued "pure-play" companies like Figure, Neura, and Unitree, and analyze the "proxy war" being waged by "Titans" like Tesla, Samsung, and Nvidia.
Figure CEO Predicts Agility Bankruptcy in 12 Months Amid Heated X Feud
November 7, 2025
A public claim by Figure's Brett Adcock about a "first" autonomous deployment at BMW escalated into a sharp exchange, with Agility Robotics mocking the claim and Adcock responding with a prediction of their bankruptcy.
Figure CEO Escalates Critique of Tele-op Demos, Details Split from OpenAI
November 6, 2025
In a new interview, Figure''s CEO Brett Adcock doubles down on his "autonomy-first" strategy, dismissing competitors'' tele-operated demos as "deceiving" and explaining why his team was "way better" at robotics AI than former partner OpenAI.
Generalist AI Unveils GEN-0, Claims Scaling Laws for Robotics Backed by 270,000 Hours of Real-World Data
November 4, 2025
Startup Generalist AI has unveiled GEN-0, an embodied foundation model it claims is trained on an unprecedented 270,000 hours of real-world manipulation data. The company reports its new architecture, "Harmonic Reasoning," and massive dataset have unlocked predictable scaling laws for robot intelligence.
The Physical AI Bottleneck: Comparing the Data Strategies of 1X, Figure, Tesla, and Neura
November 3, 2025
A recent LA Times report highlights the massive, low-tech effort to gather real-world data for robots. This data bottleneck is the central challenge in robotics, and top companies are making wildly different bets on how to solve it—from human-video capture and teleoperation to massive simulation.
1X's NEO Launch Splits Tech World, Sparking Heated Debate on Autonomy and ''Selling the Dream''
October 30, 2025
The $20,000 NEO humanoid robot pre-order has drawn massive online attention, but it has also polarized the tech community, pitting proponents of its transparent, human-in-the-loop strategy against critics—including rival CEOs—who label it an unfinished ''hype reel''.
Figure CEO Brett Adcock Says Company ‘Will Not Teleoperate’ Robots, Drawing Contrast with 1X Strategy
October 29, 2025
Speaking at an NVIDIA GTC panel, Figure CEO Brett Adcock dismissed teleoperation as "soy stuff" and claimed the real race is for general-purpose AI, not manufacturing, in the US vs. China competition.
ISO Group Meets to Define Robot Safety Rules, as Memos From Figure's Ex-Safety Lead Detail 'Order of Magnitude' Challenge
October 25, 2025
An ISO working group is meeting in Barcelona to write safety standards. Memos from Figure's former safety lead, published earlier this year, provide a sober contrast to recent hype, detailing the immense difficulty in safely managing bipedal robots that can fall, misinterpret commands, or pose battery risks.
Meta AI Chief Yann LeCun Claims Humanoid Firms "Have No Idea" How to Build Generally Useful AI
October 24, 2025
Speaking at MIT, Yann LeCun argued the "big secret" of the humanoid industry is that companies lack the fundamental AI breakthroughs—specifically "world models"—needed to make robots "generally useful" in domestic settings.
Figure CEO Claims General-Purpose Robots Are Arriving "Next Year"
October 17, 2025
Speaking at Dreamforce, Figure CEO Brett Adcock dismissed manufacturing as the primary challenge for humanoids, claiming the race is to solve general intelligence. He projected a timeline that could see his robots performing general tasks in novel environments as soon as next year.
Unitree R1 and Figure 03 Named to TIME's Best Inventions of 2025, Highlighting Humanoid Momentum
October 11, 2025
TIME Magazine has recognized two humanoid robots, the ultra-affordable Unitree R1 and the domestically-focused Figure 03, in its annual Best Inventions list, signaling the growing mainstream relevance of bipedal robotics.
TIME Cover Story Offers Grounded Look at Figure 03's Ambitious Reality
October 9, 2025
A new TIME Magazine cover story provides the first in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at Figure and its new Figure 03 humanoid. The report contrasts the company's grand ambitions for a robot in every home with the current, often clumsy, reality of its capabilities, highlighting the significant data and safety hurdles that remain.
Figure Unveils Figure 03, a Humanoid Robot Designed for Mass Production and the Home
October 9, 2025
Figure has officially announced its third-generation humanoid, Figure 03. The new model features a complete hardware and software redesign focused on enabling its 'Helix' AI system, improving safety for home environments, and streamlining the robot for high-volume manufacturing.
Figure Reveals 'Figure 03' in New Teaser, Full Unveiling Set for October 9
October 7, 2025
Humanoid robotics company Figure has released a CGI teaser video for its upcoming Figure 03 model, revealing a sleek design with unique features like fabric mesh skin, palm-mounted cameras, articulated toes, and inductive charging in its feet. CEO Brett Adcock has called it 'the best humanoid robot the world has ever seen,' with a full unveiling scheduled for this Thursday, October 9.
Figure Teases Imminent Reveal of Next-Gen Humanoid: 'This Week, Everything Changes'
October 7, 2025
Following a cryptic teaser video and a series of dramatic tweets from CEO Brett Adcock, humanoid robotics company Figure appears poised to unveil its next-generation robot this week. The campaign has fueled widespread speculation, building on months of hints about a more advanced successor to its Figure 02 model.
Figure Claims Humanoid Robot Has Worked Five Months on BMW Production Line
October 6, 2025
CEO Brett Adcock announces a Figure humanoid has been operating 10 hours a day on the BMW X3 production line, a milestone that follows earlier scrutiny over the scale of the deployment.
Figure Assembles New 'Capital Formation' Team to Raise 'Tens of Billions'
October 1, 2025
CEO Brett Adcock announces a new internal team dedicated to massive-scale fundraising, aiming to secure the capital needed to scale humanoid robot production and deployment globally.
Figure Launches 'Project Go-Big' to Train Humanoid Robots on Human Video Data
September 18, 2025
Humanoid robotics firm Figure has launched a massive data collection initiative, 'Project Go-Big,' aiming to create an 'internet-scale' pretraining dataset by capturing human video in real-world homes. The project, accelerated by a partnership with real estate giant Brookfield, has already enabled Figure's robot to learn navigation from human video alone.
Figure Taps Brookfield's Global Real Estate Portfolio to Scale AI Training
September 17, 2025
Humanoid robotics firm Figure has announced a strategic partnership with asset manager Brookfield, gaining access to a vast portfolio of real estate to create a massive real-world training dataset for its Helix AI model and accelerate commercial deployment.
Figure AI Secures Over $1B to Accelerate Humanoid Robot Rollout
September 16, 2025
Humanoid robotics startup Figure has raised over $1 billion in a Series C round led by Parkway Venture Capital, signaling massive investor confidence in its plan to deploy general-purpose robots in commercial and, eventually, domestic settings.
In-Depth with Figure AI: CEO Brett Adcock Dissects 60-Minute Logistics Demo, Touts Endurance Over Spectacle
June 15, 2025
In a live roundtable with investors and robotics experts, Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock provided a detailed breakdown of a 60-minute, uncut video showing its Figure 02 humanoid performing a complex logistics task. Adcock emphasized the shift from short demos to proving real-world endurance, detailed key upgrades to the Helix AI, and revealed a 13% speed improvement in just six days, highlighting the power of fleet-wide learning.
Figure's 'Most Boring Video' is a 60-Minute Statement on Humanoid Endurance
June 7, 2025
Figure AI has released a 60-minute, uninterrupted video of its Figure 02 humanoid performing logistics work, calling it 'the most boring video we've ever posted.' The demonstration is meant to showcase endurance and the significant performance gains from their updated Helix AI, which now incorporates temporal memory and force feedback.
Figure CEO on Scaling Humanoids: 'You Can't Code Your Way Out of This Problem'
June 6, 2025
Following a viral new demo, Figure CEO Brett Adcock took the stage at Bloomberg Tech to detail the company's aggressive strategy. He emphasized the necessity of end-to-end AI for real-world tasks, confirmed a second logistics partner, and confidently outlined a path to manufacturing 100,000 robots within four years.
Figure 02 Humanoid Shows Off Rapid, Dexterous Package Handling in New Helix-Powered Demo
June 5, 2025
Figure CEO Brett Adcock shared a new video of the Figure 02 humanoid expertly sorting and scanning diverse, including deformable, packages, driven by its Helix AI. The impressive demonstration showcases learned behaviors like flattening packages for scanning and elicited positive industry reactions regarding its speed and efficiency.
Figure AI Reorganizes to Boost Humanoid Learning with 'Helix' AI Model
May 30, 2025
Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock announced a major reorganization, merging three teams into a unified AI group called Helix. This move aims to accelerate the company's AI development for its humanoid robots, centered around its Vision-Language-Action model, also named Helix, designed for generalist control, multi-robot collaboration, and versatile object manipulation.
Figure CEO Teases Walking F.03 Humanoid, Successor to Figure 02
May 25, 2025
Figure CEO Brett Adcock tweeted that the company's next-generation F.03 humanoid is now walking, calling it 'the most advanced hardware I've ever seen.' The announcement was made with a cryptic image of the robot behind a frosted glass door labeled 'F.03 BEAR CAVE.'
Figure AI at Three: A Look Back at the Humanoid Startup's Rapid Ascent
May 22, 2025
Marking its third anniversary, Figure AI has rapidly moved from a bold idea to a multi-billion dollar company, forging key partnerships and advancing humanoid robot technology. We examine its journey, milestones, and the challenges ahead.
Figure Robot Reportedly Completes 20-Hour Continuous Shift at BMW Plant
May 21, 2025
Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock announced that a Figure humanoid robot completed a 20-hour continuous run of back-to-back shifts at BMW's production facility. This milestone is presented as a significant step in Figure's 2025 goal of deploying autonomous humanoids in real-world applications.
Stepping Forward: The Debate Over Active vs. Passive Toes in Humanoid Robotics
May 16, 2025
Recent Tesla Optimus videos have sparked discussion around robot foot design, specifically the role of articulated and actuated toes in enhancing humanoid agility and efficiency. A closer look reveals different approaches across the industry.
Humanoid Hype vs. Hardware Reality: New Report Scrutinizes Startup IP Strength
May 15, 2025
A PatentVest analysis reveals a significant disconnect between venture capital funding and intellectual property defensibility among humanoid robotics startups, raising questions about long-term viability in a rapidly evolving market.
Persona AI and HD Hyundai Forge Alliance for Humanoid Welding Robots in Shipyards
May 8, 2025
Newly-formed humanoid robotics company Persona AI has signed an MoU with HD Hyundai Group and Vazil Company to develop AI-powered humanoid robots for complex welding tasks in shipbuilding. Prototypes are expected by late 2026, with deployment from 2027, aiming to boost productivity and safety in shipyards.
Humanoid Hype Check: Experts Urge Caution on Near-Term Robot Revolution
May 7, 2025
Analyses from MIT Technology Review and a Fortune op-ed highlight significant near-term challenges for widespread humanoid robot deployment. Experts caution against hype, emphasizing technical, economic, and, as recent CEO discussions on social media reveal, domestic adoption hurdles related to safety and public perception, while underscoring the role of specialized robotics.
Podcast Recap: Inside the Rotary-vs-Linear Actuator Showdown Shaping Humanoid Robots
May 4, 2025
Soft Robotics Podcast host Marwa ElDiwiny and engineer Scott Walter dissect the rotary-vs-linear actuator debate shaping today’s humanoid robots—explaining why most builders favor compact rotary joints while others bet on planetary-roller-screw cylinders.
Humanoid Robots Poised for Factory Debut in 2025, Says Wired – But Are They Ready?
May 1, 2025
Wired magazine predicts 2025 will be a significant year for humanoid robots moving into commercial factory and warehouse roles, citing upcoming deployments like Boston Dynamics' Atlas at Hyundai, alongside existing work by Agility Robotics and Figure. While AI advancements promise greater flexibility and faster learning, challenges concerning reliability, safety, and bridging the gap between demos and autonomous operation remain critical hurdles.
Figure AI Moves to Block Secondary Stock Sales Amid Talks of $39.5 Billion Valuation
April 30, 2025
Humanoid robotics firm Figure AI has reportedly sent cease-and-desist letters to secondary market brokers, demanding they stop marketing its shares. This action follows reports of the company seeking a massive new funding round at a $39.5 billion valuation and contrasts with the CEO's earlier claim of being highly sought-after on secondary markets.
UPS Reportedly Exploring Humanoid Robots from Figure AI for Logistics Tasks
April 28, 2025
Logistics giant UPS is reportedly in discussions with humanoid robotics startup Figure AI about potentially deploying its robots for tasks within UPS's network. While details are scarce and unconfirmed, the talks reflect growing interest in using human-like robots for flexible automation in logistics.
Figure AI CEO Threatens Defamation Lawsuit Against Fortune Over Partnership Reporting
April 25, 2025
Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock announced via LinkedIn that the company is pursuing legal action, including potential defamation claims, against Fortune magazine. Adcock alleges a recent article contained 'egregious inaccuracies' regarding Figure's business and its partnership with BMW Manufacturing.
Investor Chris Camillo: Humanoid Robots are 'Embodied AI' with Trillion-Dollar Potential
April 22, 2025
Investor Chris Camillo shares his conversion from humanoid robot skeptic to major believer, outlining his thesis that 'embodied AI' represents an 'infinite labor machine' set to transform industries like manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare. He discusses key players (Tesla, Figure, Apptronik), timelines (pilots now, scaling in 3-5 years, ubiquitous in 10-30), the RaaS business model, and potential economic impact, while cautioning against near-term hype.
Actuator Architecture Sparks Debate: Figure CEO Refutes Claim of Using Planetary Roller Screws
April 17, 2025
Figure CEO Brett Adcock refuted a Fast Company claim that his company uses planetary roller screws, stating Figure relies on rotary actuators. The dispute highlights a key design debate in humanoid robotics: direct rotary drive versus linear actuators (which use screws) with linkages, as detailed by expert Scott Walter.
US Humanoid Robot Ambitions Hit Supply Chain Snag Amid China Tariffs
April 16, 2025
US efforts to build a competitive humanoid robotics industry are facing complications from tariffs on Chinese goods. Many critical components for these advanced robots are sourced from China, and the new levies risk increasing costs and slowing US progress relative to state-supported Chinese firms.
Humanoid Robots Approaching Cost Parity, Poised for Wider Adoption Within 5 Years, Bain Suggests
April 15, 2025
A Bain & Company analysis suggests humanoid robots are rapidly approaching cost parity with human labor, driven by advances in AI, dexterity, and easier training. Combined with labor shortages and reshoring trends, these factors could lead to significant adoption across industries within five years.
Investment in Humanoid Robotics Heats Up with Dedicated ETFs Launching in South Korea, Proposed in US
April 12, 2025
New Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) focused specifically on humanoid robotics are launching in South Korea and being proposed in the US. These funds, from asset managers like Samsung, KB, Hanwha, and Roundhill Investments, signal growing investor interest in companies developing human-like robots and related technologies, driven by AI advances and labor market needs, despite acknowledged technical and market risks.
Planetary Roller Screws: The High-Stakes Component Powering Humanoid Robot Motion
April 11, 2025
Planetary roller screws, a high-performance alternative to traditional ball screws, are becoming essential components in advanced humanoid robots due to their high load capacity and durability. Major developers like Tesla and Figure AI are adopting them, driving market growth, but high costs and complex manufacturing remain significant hurdles.
Figure AI's BMW Partnership: Reports Detail Cautious First Steps for Humanoid Robots in Manufacturing
April 7, 2025
Recent reports suggest the initial deployment of Figure AI's humanoid robots at BMW's Spartanburg plant is a small-scale feasibility study focused on identifying use cases, rather than an immediate, large-scale integration into production tasks. This reality check highlights the incremental nature of deploying advanced robotics in complex industrial settings.
Humanoid Robots: Insights from Agility Robotics and Apptronik Executives
April 3, 2025
Executives from Agility Robotics and Apptronik discuss the drivers, challenges, and future outlook for humanoid robots. Key topics include labor shortages, AI integration, safety standards, deployment hurdles in workplaces vs. homes, and the path toward commercialization in logistics, manufacturing, and potentially eldercare.
Reality Check: Veteran VC Allen Zhu Skeptical About Humanoid Robot Commercial Hype
March 31, 2025
Allen Zhu, a high-profile Chinese venture capitalist with GSR Ventures, has expressed skepticism about the near-term commercial viability of humanoid robots. He reportedly questions their cost-effectiveness compared to specialized automation and highlights the lack of a 'killer app,' suggesting mass adoption may be over a decade away.
Figure Humanoids Clock In for Duty at BMW Production Plant
March 31, 2025
Figure AI showcased its humanoid robots performing material handling tasks within BMW's live production facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina. This marks a move from controlled tests to real-world automotive manufacturing operations for the Figure 01 robot.
Figure Is Introducing Learned Natural Walking
March 25, 2025
The landscape of humanoid robotics is undergoing rapid change, propelled by advancements in reinforcement learning (RL). A groundbreaking end-to-end neural network developed by Figure is setting new standards in humanoid locomotion, utilizing RL to achieve human-like walking in their Figure 02 robot. This innovation promises significant strides, yet it also raises important questions about the scalability and robustness of these technologies.
