Live data from Hacker News

Figure 03, our 3rd generation humanoid robot

figure.ai

41–50 of 417 posts

Re: Figure 03, our 3rd generation humanoid robot

#42
post #32

The site uses the word Helix so frequently that I began to feel stupid for having no idea what it means. Helix is used in so many different linguistic settings that it's not clear what it is.

It's the marketing name for their in house AI model.

Re: Figure 03, our 3rd generation humanoid robot

#43

> Charging coils in the robot’s feet allow it to simply step onto a wireless stand and charge at 2 kW. This is silly. Wireless charging is inefficient and costly compared to cables but we use it for the convenience of humans, to avoid the annoyance of having to plug something in repeatedly. Obviously a humanoid robot should simply plug in its own cable ! No human need be inconvenienced. Wireless charging has no benef…

The clear implication is that they cannot, in fact, handle plugging themselves in. Take from that what you will

Re: Figure 03, our 3rd generation humanoid robot

#44

It's going to be wild when these things cost 30 grand, and we all start having them in our houses. Along with fusion, I think robots in the home will be the defining technology of our generation. It's been talked about and fictionalized forever, and within my lifetime I expect the economics on it to finally break through. Equal parts terror, awe, fear, when it comes to having a robot in my home.

I've skipped all the other past smart home trends, I think I'll skip this one too. I'll just do the dishes and laundry myself like I always have no biggie.

You wouldn't want a hand if you became infirm? In richer countries, human helpers are expensive.

Re: Figure 03, our 3rd generation humanoid robot

#45

It's going to be wild when these things cost 30 grand, and we all start having them in our houses. Along with fusion, I think robots in the home will be the defining technology of our generation. It's been talked about and fictionalized forever, and within my lifetime I expect the economics on it to finally break through. Equal parts terror, awe, fear, when it comes to having a robot in my home.

Can't wait to read the headline when one of them gets hacked and turned into murderous robots.

Re: Figure 03, our 3rd generation humanoid robot

#47
post #18

Building the robot itself is hard enough - but it was never the hardest part. The thing to watch out for is: deployments. How many units are they pushing and to who. What kind of tasks can those robots accomplish well enough to warrant actually using them. How hard is it to adapt those robots to deployments. How that changes over time. The hardest problem of creating a universal robot is, and always has been, AI. If…

I think the glossy 7min trailer has it about right: The first realistic deployments will be champagne holders at parties and robots at hotel receptions. Novelty toys for the wealthy. Commoditization and Walmart-level deployments at scale are still a few gens off.

That's what escalators looked like in the beginning-- novelties at fairs, large department stores, and hotels.

Re: Figure 03, our 3rd generation humanoid robot

#48
post #31

What does your life around your house look like when you can shamelessly leave a mess everywhere? It almost makes the uncomfortable with the amount of laziness it enables. At least with a human maid you still feel shame leaving a mess, but a robot?

This raises a very interesting philosophical question - what do our lives look like if every single inconvenience disappears? Something tells me we would be just as miserable (or happy) as when we had those inconveniences. On the other hand, would the removal of these inconveniences allow for the highest calling of humanity - I argue creativity - to flourish to the fullest? My gut reaction is once again that inconven…

We will never run out of small inconveniences. Today's world would look impossibly convenient and easy to anyone from 100 years ago, let alone 1000 or 10,000. Yet we still perceive hardships. Humanoid robot servants won't change human nature.

Besides, servants are nothing new. They're rare in the US but common in some other countries, and the people who grow up with them are maybe somewhat different but not radically changed IMO.

Re: Figure 03, our 3rd generation humanoid robot

#49
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe Elon has said before re:Tesla factory that plugging in cords is one of the hardest things to automate.

I'd appreciate a link. But "we don't trust our robot to be able to locate a power outlet and plug its own charging cord in there" sure is a low confidence play. There are practical advantages to being able to charge wirelessly, sure. But if they're doing that because of AI limitations? Bad sign.

Tesla showed a prototype of a "snake"/"tentacle" charger that would find its own way to the Tesla's charging port a long time ago. Gotta be 5+ years by now. To my knowledge it has never become a real product or certainly not mainstream among Tesla owners. I believe this gives some credence to Tesla struggling to build robots that can plug a cord in, even in cases where the robot is the cable.

Re: Figure 03, our 3rd generation humanoid robot

#50

I don't understand why this even has to charge at all. It makes sense for multiple reasons to give it 3 batteries that say have 1/3 of the capacity, and make at least 1, if not 2 or 3 capable of charging independently on a station. Then the robot would just go to its station and swap its own batteries. Why even have wireless charging at all? Or even a cable? Or even have it "charge"? Battery swapping seems to make wa…

It’s too bad there isn’t some kind of liquid battery which you could just quickly top off at refueling stations with virtually zero downtime.

Yes, like gasoline. But still batteries. Maybe some kind of bearing sized batteries which can be poured like a fluid?

Post reply on HN