Figure AI's robots can make a bed faster than you - Business Insider
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Key takeaways
Figure AI released a video in May 2026 showing two of its Helix 02 humanoids making a bed faster than a human and handling tasks such as opening doors and draping clothing after being trained on new data, though the company has not set a consumer release date. 1X Technologies announced the launch of full‑scale production for its NEO humanoid at a new Hayward, California plant, saying the first‑year run sold out within five days and that domestic shipments to the public are slated to begin later in 2026. Japan Airlines, in partnership with GMO AI & Robotics, began a trial at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport that will run through 2028 to evaluate humanoid robots for moving baggage and cargo on the tarmac, emphasizing the robots’ human‑like form as a way to adapt to busy airport environments without major infrastructure changes. Genesis AI unveiled its GENE‑26.5 foundation model in a May 6, 2026 demo, demonstrating dexterous manipulation such as solving a Rubik’s Cube and performing complex physical tasks, and indicated that a general‑purpose robot based on the technology will be shown soon. Hugging Face introduced an open‑source “app store” for its low‑cost Reachy Mini desktop humanoid, offering more than 200 ready‑to‑run applications and positioning the platform as a hobbyist and developer‑friendly alternative to higher‑priced commercial robots.
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The latest news and analysis on robotics, from humanoid AI to real-world automation.
The latest news and analysis on robotics, from humanoid AI to real-world automation.
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Figure AI's robots can make a bed faster than you
By Rya Jetha Figure AI said it trained Helix 02, the model it introduced earlier this year, on new data so the robots could handle more complex tasks, including opening doors, pushing furniture, and draping clothing. It did not say when its humanoid will become available to consumers.
Figure AI has raised more than $1 billion and is valued at $39 billion. The company faces stiff competition from Tesla, which is developing its own humanoid robot, Optimus.
Last year, Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock announced that the company was no longer collaborating with OpenAI, an investor in Figure AI, on the development of AI models for robots. Adcock ended the partnership after less than a year, after OpenAI told him that it planned to pursue humanoids internally. By Rya Jetha
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Figure AI released a video of two humanoid robots making a bed together. CEO Brett Adcock is working toward "building a new species" that can reproduce and share knowledge. Figure AI faces competition from Tesla, which is developing a humanoid robot, Optimus.
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