Humanoid Robots Enter The Workforce

We’re not talking about low-level work but complex tasks that our semi-sentient cyborg counterparts can complete.

Though we’re not quite sure what kind of interview process humanoid robots must go through with HR to land a sweet gig, the robotic company’s Figure 01 robot will get the lay of the land at a BMW plant in South Carolina to prove the concept.

The Figure 01 humanoid robot and its introduction to the workflow is a milestone event in robotics.

Though companies like Amazon are working with Agility Robotics for their fulfillment centers, they’re also overseeing the development of the Digit robot for their internal functions.

Figure, on the other hand, is the first robotics company that we know of that is offering humanoid robots commercially.

In other words, Figure’s overarching strategy is to sell fully developed humanoid robots to companies as a third party.

When asked why BMW was the ideal partnership for Figure, founder and CEO Brett Adcock suggested that the partnership was a no-brainer.

BMW already has its finger on the pulse when it comes to integrating robotics into its various processes and adding humanoid robots to the mix seems like the next logical step to improve its operations.

Adcock went on to say that body shop work, as well as warehouse logistics work, is not outside the realm of possibility at the BMW plant.

If you want to see the proof of concept in action for yourself, Figure has released several video demonstrations of their humanoid robots in action.

In a demo that looks straight from a sci-fi movie, you can see the Figure 01 walk up to a Keurig machine and make a perfect cup of coffee after receiving verbal instructions.

What’s most impressive about this demonstration is the robot’s ability to learn from past mistakes to improve future processes.

In this case, the humanoid robot had trouble securing the K-Cup in the dispenser slot and had to wiggle it around quite a bit before it was ready to go. But after a few attempts, it was able to effortlessly complete the same task as if it had been interning at a Fortune-500 company for years!

Other demonstrations show the humanoid robots in action as they learn to walk and move around more efficiently.

These humanoid robots won’t be fetching coffee orders at the BMW plant, however. Adcock also mentioned that the Figure 01 won’t take on really advanced tasks right out of the gate either.

As the technology is further finessed and developed, and the Figure 01 hits significant milestones in functionality and practical use, Figure will roll out their humanoid robots in larger numbers as more complex tasks are assigned to them.

As for what kind of functions are currently being practiced by the humanoid robots, Adcock stated that something big is in the works but also mentioned that he’s not ready to release that information to the public at the present time.

But given how quickly Figure has developed their humanoid robots in the past year alone, it’s only a matter of time before we see more demonstrations that show us how advanced their technology truly is.

Source: New Atlas