Figure AI demonstrates robot in 200-hour work deployment

200 hours without a hardware problem: US company Figure AI had three humanoid robots of type Figure 03 (F.03) sort packages on a conveyor belt for eight days. The robots managed this without a single failure.

The robots were positioned at a conveyor belt with packages. Their task was to find the barcode, pick up the package, and turn it over so the barcode faced down. A camera observed them and streamed to the internet. Viewers named the three robots Bob, Jim, and Rose.

Originally, an eight-hour shift was planned. This was extended to 20 hours, and finally to 200 hours, during which the three robots processed 249,560 packages. According to Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock, there were no failures during this time, as he announced via the microblogging service X. However, minor errors did occur, such as a robot dropping a package on the floor or not placing one correctly on the belt.

Relief when the battery is low

The robots rotated during work: when the battery charge level neared its end, it was automatically replaced by another. It then proceeded to a wireless charging station to prepare for its next task. The F.03 battery lasts about four hours.

The idea for the stunt originated when roboticist Scott Walter challenged Figure AI to demonstrate the F.03's capabilities. However, after no failures occurred on the first day, the test was extended. “This is uncharted territory,” commented Adcock.

Previously, the company had an intern compete against the robot: both were tasked with sorting packages during a 10-hour shift. The robot handled 12,732 packages, averaging 2.83 seconds per package. The intern narrowly beat it with 12,924 packages – that's 2.79 seconds per package – but was significantly more stressed physically. However, Adcock commented: “This is the last time a human will ever win.”

The Figure 03 is a humanoid robot, approximately 1.70 meters tall and weighing about 60 kilograms. It is controlled by an AI system called Helix 02, which Figure AI developed itself. Its predecessors, Figure 01 and Figure 02, have been in industrial use for some time.

(wpl)