Figure AI has achieved remarkable progress in developing a humanoid robot within a year, earning a spot in the 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards announced on April 9. This award, which has been recognizing innovation in robotics for 12 years, was celebrated at the inaugural RBR50 Gala during the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston. Each RBR50 winner will be highlighted throughout the year by The Robot Report.
Founded by seasoned entrepreneur Brett Adcock in January 2023, Figure AI swiftly moved from stealth mode to the commercialization phase. The company, based in Sunnyvale, California, has assembled a team of industry veterans, including CTO Jerry Pratt from IHMC, with over 20 years of humanoid development experience. The team also includes talent from Apple, Auris, Boston Dynamics, Nimble Robotics, Rivian, Tesla, and other leading tech firms.
Figure AI’s rapid development of the Figure 01 humanoid, capable of dynamic bipedal walking, marks one of the fastest turnarounds in humanoid robotics history. Figure 01 features dexterous manipulation capabilities and is being designed for logistics tasks, such as moving totes.
During an October 2023 visit, The Robot Report observed Figure AI’s meticulous product prototyping and sophisticated development infrastructure. The team’s expertise in iterative design, debugging, and integration of fully dissected robots for software development and electrical troubleshooting was evident. These capabilities highlight the company’s maturity and advanced development processes.
Since October, Figure AI has made significant progress, achieving key milestones such as manipulation tasks, untethered walking, and real-world demonstrations.
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