Sorry, Figure AI, but your robot is only cool if it can walk like a human

Figure 02 is currently half a winding robot, and you only have to look as far as the new announcement video to understand why.

The video starts off promisingly enough. Figure AI’s Figure 02 robot, a redesign of the original Figure 01, looks more human than ever. It has a smooth head and a fabric-covered neck, its arms have lost most of their steampunk look, and its hands are complete with 10 expressive fingers and fluid movements. Even fully formed, Figure 02’s narrow torso and slightly thick legs could pass for a human from a distance.