A robotics company has announced plans to ship 100,000 humanoid bots over the next four years.
The news comes after Figure, who specialises in “giving artificial intelligence a body”, signed a contract with BMW last year – their first commercial customer.
They currently have a “fleet” working for the brand, performing “end-to-end operations” – and it seems they are focused on expanding further.
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Founder Brett Adcock announced they see the potential of shipping 100,000 “humanoid robots” over the next four years.
The company has recently signed its second commercial customer, which Adcock doesn’t name but describes as “one of the biggest US companies”.
In an update on their work with BMW, Figure said it was an “autonomous fleet” operating at 400% faster and with a seven-times higher success rate than before.
The company says its mission is to “expand human capabilities through advanced AI”, citing “unprecedented labour shortages” across the US as a key reason we need this form of tech.
A video shared on their YouTube channel shows a humanoid making a cup of coffee with a machine, after being vocally given the order by a staff member.
In the clip, it says the robot – called ‘Figure 01’ – has “learned to self-correct mistakes”, such as not placing the coffee pod at the right angle.
Another video shows the bot answering questions, such as describing what is in front of it and preparing a meal.
The company has also introduced ‘Figure 02’, a sleeker-looking bot currently working with BMW.
In a ‘master plan’ written by Adcock, the founder says we are in the early stages of an AI and robotics revolution, reports Need To Know.
He continues: “We believe humanoids will revolutionize a variety of industries, from corporate labour roles (3+ billion humans) to assisting individuals in the home (2+ billion), to caring for the elderly (~1 billion), and to building new worlds on other planets.
“However, our first applications will be in industries such as manufacturing, shipping and logistics, warehousing, and retail, where labour shortages are the most severe.
“In early development, the tasks humanoids complete will be structured and repetitive, but over time, and with advancements in robot learning and software, humanoids will expand in capability and be able to tackle more complex job functions.
“We will not place humanoids in military or defence applications, nor any roles that require inflicting harm on humans.
“Our focus is on providing resources for jobs that humans don’t want to perform.”
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