Take a second and imagine the most tedious task for you in your everyday life. Yeah, that task. Now picture a robot doing it for you—just like you would. That is what Figure, a robotics company, wants to bring to reality with their humanoid, Figure 01. And it is set to revolutionize how we live, work, and interact with our environments in the future with AI.
Well, this isn't the first time we are learning about robots performing certain tasks. Robots have been around for at least four decades, and they are being used in many applications, particularly in industries, to achieve more efficient and effective outcomes in place of humans at the same jobs. Vehicles, for example, are mostly assembled with robots.
Figure 01 is a humanoid that has human-like features and can interact with our environments just like we do. It is powered by AI developed by OpenAI. It is 5'6" tall, weighs 60kg, has a runtime of 5 hours, and runs on electricity.
Unlike most robots, this one by Figure is designed to have a human factor because the environment we have designed is essentially for the human form. The doors that we open with our hands, the tools we use, the stairs we climb, the suitcases we carry, and many more were designed for humans and can most easily be interacted with by humans.
It makes sense to have a robot that would "make things much easier" to have the human factor so it can be versatile in its interaction with the environment.
Speech-to-speech Reasoning
In the demo of Figure 01 above, we see it interact with a human as though it were human itself. The AI it is powered with allows it to process information from its environment—speech, objects around, and the space around it—and respond adequately. Observe the conversation in the demo below:
Human: Hey, Figure One, what do you see right now?
Figure 01: I see a red apple on a plate in the center of the table, a drying rack with cups and a plate, and you standing nearby with your hand on the table.
Human: Great. Can I have something to eat?
Figure 01: Sure, thing. (Figure 01 proceeds to hand the human the red apple).
(Human places some trash in front of Figure 01)
Human: Great. Can you explain why you did what you just did while you pick up this trash and put it in the trash can?
(While picking up the trash and putting it into the trash can)
Figure 01: So I gave you the apple because it's the only edible item I could provide you with from the table.
Human: Great. So based on the scene right now, where do you think the dishes in front of you go next?
Figure 01: The dishes on the table, like that plate and cup, are likely to go into the drying rack next.
Human: Great. Can you put them there?
Figure 01: Of course. (And then proceeds to put the plate and cup into the rack).
Human: Alright. So how do you think you did?
Figure 01: I think I did pretty well. The apple found its new owner, the trash is gone, and the tableware is right where it belongs.
Human: I agree. Thanks, Figure One.
Figure 01: You're welcome. If there is anything else you need help with, just let me know.
Impressive. Nothing but impressive was what I thought about the demo. The voice of Figure 01 not only sounds realistically human but also has nuances to human speech. For example, you would find it using filler words like "uh" in the demo, as well as repeating some words like it stuttered—something that can happen in human speech.
Figure 01 was very aware of what it had around it. And with that information, it was able to reason like a human and behave as expected of a person. For example, it was thought to hand the person in the demo an apple when they asked for something to eat. Speech-to-speech reasoning is so fine at this level that it makes me wonder what more can be achieved in the future.
There is more that Figure 01 can do at this point than there is now. It can move loads as well. I imagine sending it on errands—say, to do a few things for me at a grocery store—when I own one in the future. At that time in the far future, humanoids like Figure 01 would be way more sophisticated and advanced.
In industries, too, Figure 01's impact would greatly boost productivity and efficiency. For jobs that are unsafe and undesirable for humans, Figure 01 would be of immense effectiveness as, of course, it is expendable compared to humans.
In Figure's master plan, part of their aim is to have their robots "join the workforce" everywhere from factories to farmland and decrease the cost of labour until it becomes equivalent to the price of renting a robot, facilitating a long-term, holistic reduction in costs. And, also, make robots build robots—driving the price down even more. [Source]
Ranging from "more structured and less variability" to "less structured and more variability," the three major business opportunities Figure sees are in physical labour, consumer households, and off-world (space) explorations.
In the near future, humanoids will be living with us. We may then have a chance at improving our lives with the humanoids involved in our daily lives, businesses, and interactions. Figure 01 is the first of its kind, and it is just the dawn of human-like robots that are really "human."
I am excited about what's to come in the future with the insane developments in AI and robotics these days. What about you? And what do you think about Figure 01?
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All images belong to Figure