Figure unveils a new humanoid robot - Weekly News Roundup - Issue #479
I hope you enjoy this free post. If you do, please like ❤️ or share it, for example by forwarding this email to a friend or colleague. Writing this post took around eight hours to write. Liking or sharing it takes less than eight seconds and makes a huge difference. Thank you! Figure unveils a new humanoid robot - Weekly News Roundup - Issue #479Plus: more OpenAI drama; the race to 150; a robot playing table tennis; Groq raised $640 million; video game actors are on strike over AI concerns; and more!Hello and welcome to Weekly News Roundup Issue #479! This week, Figure unveiled their second-generation humanoid robot, Figure 02, featuring a sleeker design and upgraded AI. In other news, OpenAI delivered more drama with two key employees leaving the company, and advised not to expect GPT-5 to be revealed during this year’s Dev Day. Meanwhile, Groq raised $640 million to meet demand for fast AI inference, and video game actors are on strike over AI concerns. In robotics, DeepMind trained an off-the-shelf industrial robot to play table tennis, and another company trained a robot dog to carry groceries. Enjoy! Figure unveils a new humanoid robotFigure AI has unveiled their second generation humanoid robot, Figure 02, which bring many improvements over its precedesor, Figure 01. The new robot has a new, sleeker body hiding cables and motors under plastic matte black plastic panels. It also has upgraded hands capable of carrying up to 25 kg (55.1 pounds) and designed to manipulate objects that a human hand can grasp. A new swappable battery with 50% greater capacity allows the Figure 02 robot to run for five hours on a single charge, according to the company. Figure 02 has also become smarter. The robot now has three times more computing power and is equipped with an onboard vision language model (VLM). Using six cameras, it can perceive its surroundings and perform tasks autonomously. Thanks to a partnership with OpenAI, Figure 02 can understand natural language commands and engage in conversations with humans. Although Figure did not show these capabilities for Figure 02, they showed how it works with Figure 01 a couple of months ago. However, Figure is just one of many new players on the humanoid robotics scene. For long time, the only notable company building humanoid robots was Boston Dynamics which both amazed and terrified millions of people who watched on YouTube what Atlas can do. But in the last 2-3 years, an entire cohort of new humanoid robotics companies emerged seemingly out of nowhere all at the same time. There are big companies like Tesla which is building Optimus and promises to start using it in its factories next year. And there are a bunch of new companies. Figure is one of them. Other include Agility Robotics, whose robot Digit has recently landed its first official job, 1X, Apptronik, Sanctuary AI, Unitree, and more. I admire the engineering that went into building these machines. They are a remarkable achievement, combining mechanical engineering, material science, electronics, sensor technology, software engineering, and machine learning. But the question I have is: will humanoid robots take off? All those companies promise effectively the same thing—a replacement of human labour with robotic labour. A drop-in replacement of human workers without any significant changes to the workplace. These robots are supposed to come in, take the tools humans use and start working after some basic training. They can work all the time, they don’t complain, and are cheaper and more scalable than human labour. At least that is what is promised. Some of these robots are already being tested in real-life workplaces. Agility Robotics’ Digit is being trialled at Amazon, while the Figure 01 robot is being tested by BMW. Mercedes is trialling Apptronik’s Apollo for "low skill, repetitive" tasks. Sanctuary AI has partnered with European carmaker Magna to deliver their Phoenix robots to Magna's factories. Another car company, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor, has also started to incorporate humanoid robots in their factory. However, these are still pilot programmes. The real test for these robots will be their interaction in actual workplaces with real customers, who expect them to deliver value rather than just serve as novelties. Overpromising is one of the biggest risks facing humanoid robotics companies. The flashy demos we see on YouTube might give a false impression of the true capabilities of humanoid robots. The contact with reality will be harsh, and I believe the first wave of humanoid robots will not meet the high expectations set for them. Many humanoid robotics companies may not survive this initial reality check. The critical question will then be what lessons the surviving companies learn and transform their humanoid robots into a product that the market wants. Figure is a very well funded startup. To date, the company raised $854 million from Microsoft, OpenAI, Amazon, Nvidia, Intel Capital, and more. After the last Series B funding round in February 2024, Figure was valued at $2.6 billion, making it the most valued humanoid robotics company. Figure looks like will have enough runway to develop 03, maybe 04 and 05 robots, giving them more time to find the right market fit for their robots. Other companies may not be as fortunate.
If you enjoy this post, please click the ❤️ button or share it. Do you like my work? Consider becoming a paying subscriber to support it For those who prefer to make a one-off donation, you can 'buy me a coffee' via Ko-fi. Every coffee bought is a generous support towards the work put into this newsletter. Your support, in any form, is deeply appreciated and goes a long way in keeping this newsletter alive and thriving. 🦾 More than a humanThe Race to 150 Neuralink has implanted second trial patient with brain chip, Elon Musk says 🧠 Artificial IntelligenceOpenAI co-founder Schulman leaves for Anthropic, Brockman takes extended leave OpenAI tempers expectations with less bombastic, GPT-5-less DevDay this fall OpenAI won’t watermark ChatGPT text because its users could get caught A New Type of Neural Network Is More Interpretable Ampere AmpereOne Aurora 512 Core AI CPU Announced Groq Raises $640M To Meet Soaring Demand for Fast AI Inference Video game actors are officially on strike over AI The State of Chinese AI Replacing my Right Hand with AI If you're enjoying the insights and perspectives shared in the Humanity Redefined newsletter, why not spread the word? 🤖 RoboticsUkraine's new secret weapon: Silent Chinese robo-dogs in urban combat ▶️ Pull To Walk Robot Dog Grocery Shopping (0:46) Robot dogs are cool, but what useful things can you do with them? Well, you can turn your robot dog into a robot mule that carries groceries for you, as shown in this video. Achieving Human Level Competitive Robot Table Tennis Researchers from DeepMind took an off-the-shelf industrial robotic arm and trained it to play table tennis. The robot and the AI controlling it became skilled enough to compete at an amateur human level. While an expert human player can still defeat the bot, the system showcases the potential for machines to master complex physical tasks that require split-second decision-making and adaptability. The paper describing the project can be found here. 💡Tangents▶️ The Physics of Dyson Spheres (18:22) The idea of Dyson Spheres was a radical proposal by physicist Freeman Dyson—an enormous shell of material enveloping a star. Although Dyson's idea is over half a century old, interest in searching for such objects has only grown. But how would these structures work? Are they even physically possible? And what might they be used for? Prof. David Kipping from Cool Worlds answers these and more questions in this video. Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this post, please click the ❤️ button or share it. Humanity Redefined sheds light on the bleeding edge of technology and how advancements in AI, robotics, and biotech can usher in abundance, expand humanity's horizons, and redefine what it means to be human. A big thank you to my paid subscribers, to my Patrons: whmr, Florian, dux, Eric, Preppikoma and Andrew, and to everyone who supports my work on Ko-Fi. Thank you for the support! My DMs are open to all subscribers. Feel free to drop me a message, share feedback, or just say "hi!" |
Older messages
A peek into Apple Intelligence - Weekly News Roundup - Issue #478
Friday, August 2, 2024
Plus: EU AI Act is in force now; a titanium heart pumps blood inside a living human; an AI necklace to combat loneliness; autonomous cars drifting in tandem; and more! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
OpenAI announces SearchGPT - Weekly News Roundup - Issue #477
Friday, July 26, 2024
Plus: Will billionaires live forever; a police robot dog jamming wireless networks; Alphabet to invest $5B into Waymo; warnings about “model collapse”; a new partnership for AI security; and more! ͏ ͏
It's Strawberry Summer at OpenAI - Weekly News Roundup - Issue #476
Friday, July 19, 2024
Plus: GPT-4o-mini; first Miss AI contest sparks controversy; lab-grown meat for pets approved in the UK; Tesla delays robotaxi reveal until October; 'Supermodel granny' drug extends life in
Digital twins
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
How physical becomes digital ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Weekly News Roundup - Issue #475
Friday, July 12, 2024
Plus: Microsoft leaves OpenAI's board; OpenAI got hacked; the first step toward reversible cryopreservation; how good ChatGPT is at coding; China proposes guidelines for humanoid robotics; and more
You Might Also Like
Exclusive: Top SaaS Security Threats of 2025—And How to Eliminate Them
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Learn how 39% of companies are stepping up their defenses.
📳 Your Smart Home Needs Vibration Sensors — 7 Ways to Change How iOS 18 Looks
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Also: Should You Use AI Photo Editors? How-To Geek Logo September 18, 2024 Did You Know The safety lever on a hand grenade, the lever the soldier holds down after removing the pin, but before throwing
JSK Daily for Sep 18, 2024
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
JSK Daily for Sep 18, 2024 View this email in your browser A community curated daily e-mail of JavaScript news Top 8 React Libraries for Building Beautiful and Functional UIs This article will look at
Daily Coding Problem: Problem #1560 [Medium]
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Daily Coding Problem Good morning! Here's your coding interview problem for today. This problem was asked by Google. Given a set of closed intervals, find the smallest set of numbers that covers
Nature is Healing
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Over-Optimized Apple, John Wick AI, Snap's New Reality Nature is Healing Over-Optimized Apple, John Wick AI, Snap's New Reality By MG Siegler • 18 Sept 2024 View in browser View in browser
We tested every iPhone 16 model - buy this one
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
What I love about Pixel 9 Pro; October Prime Day; Best fitness rings -- ZDNET ZDNET Tech Today - US September 18, 2024 placeholder We've used every iPhone 16 model and here's our best buying
Charted | Visualizing S&P 500 Returns After Interest Rate Cuts 📈
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
In the past 50 years, S&P 500 returns following interest rate cuts have varied widely, from +36.5% to -36% a year later. View Online | Subscribe | Download Our App Presented by: The economy is
Top Tech Deals 👀 Garmin Smartwatch, $20 Fire TV Stick, Power Banks, and More!
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Get a discounted mechanical RGB keyboard, Sony FE lens, portable chargers, and other must-haves. How-To Geek Logo September 18, 2024 Top Tech Deals: Garmin Smartwatch, $20 Fire TV Stick, Power Banks,
⚙️ Intel is trying to make a comeback
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Plus: Microsoft is launching new AI centers in the Middle East
Whiskey: The Tangible Asset for Your Portfolio
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Most people fail to diversify their investments. They invest all their money in intangible assets like stocks, bonds, and crypto. The solution - fine whiskey. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏