We already knew that robots knew how to walk, carry boxes or play football. Now they also fold the linen! In a video posted by the manufacturer Figure AI, the humanoid model Figure 02 applies to fold towels, one by one, with an accuracy … almost human. From time to time, it rectifies a fold, then stacks everything in a basket. In short, not perfect, but more than enough to prevent clean laundry from ending up on the sofa.
Clean linen, new passion for robots
Behind this feat hides Helix, a model of artificial intelligence that combines vision, understanding of language and motor coordination. The robot does not stupidly perform a programmed sequence: he “sees” the battery, “understands” what we ask him, then adapts to do the job. And the most impressive is that Helix can animate two robots at the same time to work hand in hand – or rather, hand in pliers – on a common task.
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Helix does not need to be reprogrammed for each new gesture. With a single set of parameters, he knows how to enter, move, open drawers or cooperate with other robots. In other words, no need to show him ten times how to put a mug in a closet: he generalizes and does it alone.
His “brain” is actually cut in half. System 1 (S1) manages the rapid reflex, which instantly transforms what it sees in specific gestures. And System 2 (S2) is the slower strategist, which analyzes the scene and includes the instructions given in natural language. The interest is that the two can evolve separately, a bit as if you could offer a new driver’s driver’s license without changing your personality. Figure nourished helix with 500 hours of teleoperation manipulation, embellished with a system which automatically generates instructions in clear language.
The whole thing turns on low -consumption GPUs, which allows Helix to live in the real world without the need for a data center in the living room. The result is that the robot is more autonomous, it adapts better, and it can potentially be useful in a house, warehouse or store.
So yes, for the moment, Helix folds towels with the meticulousness of a somewhat careful roommate, but the idea is especially that tomorrow, this kind of AI could manage a bunch of small daily tasks. And frankly, if the linen disappears one day from the list of things to do, we will not say no.
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