BMW tests second-generation AI-powered humanoid robot
7 August 2024 
Figure, the US humanoid robot developer, has unveiled a second-generation machine which it claims is the best performing humanoid robot on the market. The latest version, called Figure 02, has human-like hands with 16 degrees of freedom, and six onboard machine vision cameras.
BMW Manufacturing has been testing the new robot for data collection and application training.
California-based Figure, founded in 2022, has also raised $675m in Series B funding, and announced a collaboration with OpenAI. It is aiming to create robots that will not only enhance productivity and efficiency, but also improve quality of life for humans. The company currently employs around 120 people.
The new model has been given a ground-up hardware and software redesign, with advances in critical technologies including AI, vision, batteries, electronics, sensors and actuators:
- Speech-to-speech Figure 02 can have speech-to-speech conversations with humans via onboard microphones and speakers, connected to custom AI models, that have been trained in partnership with OpenAI.
- Vision language model An onboard VLM enables fast common-sense visual reasoning using the robot’s cameras.
- Battery A 2.25kWh battery pack in the robot’s torso delivers at least 50% more energy, extending the robot’s runtime.
- Integrated wiring Integrated power and communications cabling allows wires to be concealed, improves reliability, and allows tighter packaging.
- Cameras The robot perceives and understands the physical world through its AI-driven vision system, powered by six onboard RGB cameras.
- Fourth-generation hands The latest human-scale hands have 16 degrees of freedom and a similar strength to human hands, supporting a wide range of human-like tasks.
- CPU/GPU The robot has three times more computation and AI inference power compared to the previous generation, helping it to perform real-world AI tasks autonomously.
Figure’s latest development comes shortly after Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that his company plans to start trials of its Optimus humanoid robot is into factories in 2025, before releasing the robots commercially in 2026.
