It Looks Fast, Agile, Smooth

Figure CEO Brett Adcock has teased a short video of his company’s Figure 03 robot running on Threads. While it’s a short clip, it’s very clearly showing quick acceleration, running, turning and deceleration. That’s significant, because one of the primary shortcoming of today’s humanoid robots is speed.

Or, rather, lack thereof.

Humanoid robot companies often hold the actual walking speeds of their robots very close to the vest, mostly because the numbers are often not impressive. Sanctuary AI has published a maximum speed of 3 miles per hour for its humanoid robot, Phoenix. That’s about the lower end of the posted speed of the Unitree H1 as well, although there’s considerable upward variability in that estimate. Agility Robotics’ Digit is around three to four miles per hour as well. Figure’s reported numbers for Figure 03 are actually on the lower end of the scale, at 1.3 meters/second, or 2.7 mph.

Turns out the company was sandbagging. Or perhaps recent development has been very successful indeed.

Because, just by a very rough visual estimate, Figure 03 is moving at a much, much faster rate. Walking speed for a human is in the three to four mph range. Jogging, or slow running, is in the four to six mph range. Figure 03 – or perhaps 04, Adcock doesn’t specify – is at least in the upper end of the jogging range. We can be sure that this is the case because clearly, both of Figure 03’s feet are off the ground at the same time. In other words, this by definition running, not just fast walking.

It’s also impressive to see the quick start, the rapid deceleration and the very smooth transition to facing back in the opposite direction.

It’s so good, Adcock titles his teasing post “Human or Robot.”

It’s clearly a robot, however, as you can see at the waist. (Of course, many things are possible with generative AI these days, but I don’t think Adcock would publish something on his own channels if that was the case. For the record, I have asked the question, and will update this post with any response.)

Until I see better, I’m thinking this is the smoothest and fastest humanoid robot in the west. There are some Chinese companies that promise significantly high speeds, but I have not personally seen them. Boston Dynamics of course has Atlas as well, which is quite fast, but I’m not sure it fits in the same category as a robot that has had a job since late last year and is at some level of actual production.

Next year, perhaps Figure will enter its robot in the second annual Humanoid Robot Marathon.