Figure AI Decommissions Its Figure 02 Robots in a Molten Steel Stunt
Figure AI has retired its Figure 02 humanoid robot fleet by having them jump autonomously into a vat of molten steel, following a suggestion by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Figure AI has retired the majority of its Figure 02 humanoid robot fleet through an unconventional decommissioning process, instructing the machines to jump autonomously into a vat of molten steel. The method was inspired by actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who responded to a social media post by suggesting that the company melt them.
Maintaining the Figure 02 units was no longer practical as the company focused on newer hardware generations like the Figure 03 and development toward Figure 04. The older fleet had previously contributed to milestones such as an early deployment at BMW, home chores, logistics tasks, and the creation of the Helix system. However, securely destroying the proprietary hardware and custom actuators manually would have pulled technical staff away from active development projects.
Finding a Foundry and Training the Fleet
To execute the idea, the company sought a foundry capable of handling humanoid robots equipped with lithium-ion batteries. Domestic facilities in the United States and Mexico declined the request, and the search even involved consulting former MythBusters members before securing a location in Imatra, Finland.
Before the overseas trip, engineers trained the machines at the company's San Jose campus using large airbags and second-floor jumps. By leveraging stunt performers as movement references, developers trained a new AI model in simulation so the units could land accurately inside a target bucket at an unfamiliar facility.
Operating in the Finnish foundry presented environmental hurdles, including extreme heat and powerful electromagnetic fields. The facility utilized a 75-ton electric arc furnace powered by three graphite electrodes. The operational window was tight, giving the team six melts across 24 hours, with roughly 20 minutes per melt before the steel formed a solid crust. Despite failing electronics and cameras, the robots maintained their autonomous AI execution until the end.
What it means for developers
This project highlights the growing intersection of advanced simulation training and real-world physical deployment, showing how simulation models can successfully guide complex hardware in high-stakes environments. For developers building cutting-edge applications, testing and scaling models efficiently is crucial. You can try top AI models cheaply through one API at https://apixoai.online, providing flexible access to leading foundational models for varied development needs.
Following the completion of the project, the metal from the destroyed units was shipped back to the United States. Figure AI is currently machining the recycled steel into a limited line of commemorative artifacts, leaving only a small number of original Figure 02 units in headquarters storage.
Source: Figure AI Retires Humanoid Robot Fleet by Having Them Jump Into a Vat of Molten Steel — AI Insider. Written by the Apixo team from that report.
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