Tech • AI • Robotics • Game
Figure AI Robots Just Went Full Terminator
7/10TL;DR
Figure, Clone Robotics, NASA, and Chinese developers unveiled sharply different humanoid-robot strategies this week, spanning destructive retirement tests, new hand designs, space operations, and secure domestic control systems.
KEY POINTS
Figure destroyed most of its F-02 fleet
Figure sent most of its retired F-02 humanoids to a foundry in Finland, where the robots autonomously jumped into a 75-ton electric arc furnace filled with molten steel. The move protected proprietary hardware such as custom actuators and avoided a labor-intensive teardown that the company said would have diverted engineers and delayed the F-04 program. The idea followed a public suggestion from Arnold Schwarzenegger, echoing Terminator 2.
The furnace test doubled as an extreme autonomy trial
The operation took place at a foundry in Åminnefors, Finland, after facilities in the United States and Mexico reportedly refused to accept robots containing lithium-ion batteries. Engineers trained the machines at Figure’s San Jose campus to leap accurately using stunt-performer motion references, airbags, and a new AI model. On site, the team had 24 hours, six melts, and roughly 20 minutes per melt before the steel surface began crusting over, while heat and electromagnetic interference caused camera failures before the robots stopped functioning.
Melted robot metal is being turned into memorabilia
The recovered metal has been shipped back to the United States and is being machined into a limited run of commemorative artifacts made from the former humanoids. Only a small number will be produced. A few F-02 units remain in storage, but most of the fleet has now been retired.
Figure’s newer F-03 targets home use
F-03, introduced in October 2025, replaced the older fleet with a redesigned sensor suite and a new hand system built for Helix, Figure’s vision-language-action model. The robot was also designed for closer human interaction, with softer exterior materials, wireless charging, improved audio, and upgraded battery safety. The shift reflects a move from pilot deployments toward broader household and logistics use.
Clone Robotics previewed an older hand while promising a new robot
On October 1, Clone Robotics released footage of a teleoperated hand from Torso 3, showing a human-like five-finger design controlled remotely through a glove. The company said the hand was built in April 2026 and is the last of its legacy designs. It also said it has spent the past six months redesigning the full system from the ground up, with Torso 4 scheduled to launch in November.
Clone and Boston Dynamics are diverging on hand design
Clone is pursuing anatomy-inspired hands driven by artificial muscles and tendons, while Boston Dynamics has taken a more machine-like route for Atlas, with four fingers, 13 degrees of freedom, and a motor in every joint. Boston Dynamics deliberately omitted a fifth finger to reduce cost, size, and failure points. Despite the contrasting hardware, both companies are emphasizing easier simulation and control as prerequisites for useful work.
NASA is building robots to work beside astronauts
At NASA’s Johnson Space Center, a 16-person Dextrous Robotics Team is developing robots for deep-space operations alongside humans. The aim is to let machines handle dangerous tasks in radiation, vacuum, extreme temperatures, and abrasive dust so astronauts can focus on higher-value work. Candidate jobs include external repairs, damage inspection, cargo handling, and scouting unknown terrain on the Moon and Mars.
Space robotics is shifting toward semiautonomy
NASA’s testing environment, IMMETRO, combines habitat mock-ups, simulation tools, and an outdoor rock yard to evaluate hardware and software. The key challenge is communication delay: lunar links can lag by seconds, while Mars can exceed 20 minutes, making joystick-style teleoperation impractical. In one test, software from PickNik enabled a robotic arm to find a hatch, turn the latch, open the door, and move cargo, underscoring the agency’s push for high-level human commands with autonomous execution.
China claimed a fully domestic electronic architecture for humanoids
In Yichang, Hubei, developers unveiled what Chinese state media described as the world’s first embodied AI robot built on a fully domestically developed electronic architecture. The system reportedly separates but integrates AI computing and control functions, covering chips, networking, software tools, and operating layers. Testers said the robot kept operating safely through joint damage, cyberattacks, and virus implantation, though no detailed methods, manufacturer name, or independent verification were released.
CONCLUSION
The latest humanoid developments show the field splitting into distinct priorities: product readiness, rugged autonomy, humanlike dexterity, and national control over core systems. Together, they suggest the next phase of robotics will be defined as much by reliability and deployment context as by raw motion or appearance.
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