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Can a human-like robot endure a full workday—and then another—without stopping? Until very recently, the answer was doubtful. Today, the Californian company Figure AI has proven that it can, and it did so before the eyes of half a million people live, conducting a test streamed online.
In mid-May 2026, Figure AI placed several of its humanoid robots—the Figure 03 model, named with everyday names like Gary, Frank, and Bob—in front of a package conveyor belt. And it turned on a camera so the whole world could watch them work.
The initial goal was modest: to demonstrate an 8-hour continuous workday at a human pace. But the robots didn't fail. Brett Adcock, the company's founder and CEO, made a decision live on air: to keep going. The experiment ran for over 24 uninterrupted hours, processing more than 30,000 packages in total. An unprecedented record in humanoid robotics.
The task was simple to describe, but demanding to execute: identify packages, orient them correctly, read their codes, and place them on the sorting conveyor belt. No step-by-step instructions. No operator present. Just the robot and its artificial intelligence.
In the first 8 hours, the robots processed more than 10,000 packages. The overall rate is approximately one package every 3 seconds, a speed comparable to that of a human worker. And, unlike a human, there were no meal breaks, no accumulated fatigue, no sick leave, etc.
The secret behind this performance is Helix-02, the full-body artificial intelligence system developed by Figure AI. This system runs directly within the robot, without relying on any external computer. This makes it a truly autonomous agent, capable of making decisions in real time.
The Figure 03 also incorporates high-speed cameras, touch sensors in the palms of its hands, and a wider field of vision. All of this allows it to maintain control even when its primary vision is partially obstructed while reaching for objects in tight spaces.
A notable aspect of this demonstration is that errors were not concealed. Some packages fell to the floor. The robot failed to properly orient some of them. In an industry where demos are often carefully edited, Figure AI opted for complete transparency. And that, paradoxically, reinforces the credibility of its results.
Figure AI competes directly with Tesla (with its Optimus robot), Agility Robotics, and Boston Dynamics, among others. In the industrial world, it already has proven experience: its Figure 02 robots worked at the BMW plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 10-hour shifts, accumulating more than 1,250 operating hours and participating in the production of over 30,000 BMW X3 units.
Humanoid robots have a clear strategic advantage: their human-like morphology allows them to integrate into environments already designed for people, without the need to redesign factories or warehouses. Their main disadvantage remains their price, which is higher than that of wheeled robots or fixed industrial arms. But the scale of production changes the equation: Figure AI claims to have gone from manufacturing one robot per day to producing one per hour.
The world of robotics is vast enough for each type of robot to find its niche. Traditional industrial robots will continue to dominate repetitive production lines. Wheeled robots will remain more cost-effective in many warehouses. But humanoids, with their versatility and adaptability, will conquer niches where flexibility matters more than brute speed.
What Figure AI has demonstrated with this test is not just a technological milestone. It is a sign that humanoid robotics has ceased to be a promise and has become an operational reality.
You can visit the company's website at: https://www.figure.ai/
And a video of their robots at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu5mYMavctM
And a video of the test at:
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