- Figure 03 redesigns the humanoid robot for the home
- He has articulated hands that even include cameras and can wash dishes and fold laundry.
- There is no schedule for home introduction availability.
As I watched Figure 03 clean, fold laundry, load a dishwasher, serve, and play with the family dog, I was struck by the still strange combination of human activity and fundamental inhumanity. It’s that combination that makes this moment so crucial. We’re on the brink of a domestic humanoid robot revolution, and Figure AI could be leading a slightly perplexing and unstable path.
Figure AI unveiled its latest robot update on Thursday (October 9) with an extensive video and a designation as one of Time Magazine The best innovations of 2025. They feature Figure 03 on the cover, which I think exaggerates the robot’s potential for home use and even Time admits: “Figure 03 will not be ready for home use when it is released.”
Look
It’s not that Figure AI hasn’t made significant progress on its five-foot-six-inch automaton. The all-electric Figure 03 looks and operates differently than its predecessor, the Figure 02, which was introduced just over a year ago.
Many of the improvements in Figure 03 are specifically designed for better and safer home use. Even its appearance is softer and less out of place in a domestic environment; Almost the entire body is now covered by soft mesh fabric.
The fully articulated hands are also covered in fabric and even include palm cameras that give each hand a wide-angle view of its target and its activities (there’s also a head camera). The fingertips are also softer and each finger features the company’s new touch sensor. These features likely explain Figure 03’s ability, as shown in the video, to collect plates from a table and then carefully sweep up the debris with one hand while catching it with the other.
Those new hands and cameras likely make it possible for Figure 03 to effectively, if clumsily, fold a shirt, as well as slowly rinse dishes and place them in the dishwasher. His body appears human, but for some tasks, he is often half-crouched in a way that would cause serious back problems for most humans. For all we know, the algorithms can tell that this is the best way for Figure 03 to work.
Figure AI created the new robot with 9% less mass for better maneuverability around the home. In the video, we see it emerge from its wireless charging station (it’s rated for five hours of runtime per charge) and then navigate around what I would describe as a spacious, open-plan home (good luck, for example, in my messy house). There is also some more foam in the robot’s joints to avoid pinching human fingers.
I notice how carefully the robot moves in the home video. It’s slow (2.6 mph) and a little heavy. Perhaps this is by design and for security. In the factory part of the video, Figure 03 seems to run much faster.
An AI base
While Figure AI didn’t demonstrate this in the video, Figure 03’s rapid development is driven in part by generative AI and, according to the company, features “vision-language-action AI.” It uses OpenAI models and Nvidia robotics stacks to help you understand spoken commands and the world around you. It’s hard to imagine Figure 03’s rapid rise to becoming a close-to-home robotic aid without the current generative AI revolution.
Numerous questions remain about Figure 03. Figure AI has not offered a timeline for home delivery. In fact, Figure 03 will likely arrive at the factory first. The price in any market is a question mark, although it is expected to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Figure Ai faces stiff competition from Tesla Optimus, Unitree G1, and Boston Dynamics Atlas, among others. However, none of them are even close to being home.
As Figure AI admitted last year when it first introduced Figure 01, “We are facing high risk and extremely low chances of success.” This could well be said for the entire humanoid robotics industry, at least in the short term.
However, in the long term, there is a growing possibility that future generations will consider helpful home robots like Figure 03 to be the norm, even if we still find them creepy.
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