Figure Decommissions F.02 Robot Fleet by Melting Them in Finland

F.02 Fleet Decommissioned

Figure has decommissioned its F.02 robot fleet to focus on the growing F.03 fleet and upcoming F.04. The F.02 robots were notable for being the company's first deployment at BMW, the introduction of Helix, and their use in household chores and logistics.

Proprietary Hardware Protection

Disposing of the F.02 fleet, which contained custom-built actuators and other intellectual property, presented a challenge. Traditional disassembly would have consumed significant technical staff time, potentially delaying the F.04 launch. To protect proprietary hardware, Figure opted for a melting process.

Unconventional Melting Process

After consulting various sources, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Figure decided to melt the robots. Finding a facility capable of melting robots with lithium-ion batteries proved difficult, with most US and Mexican foundries declining. Ultimately, a foundry in Imatra, Finland, was the only one willing to undertake the task.

Figure trained the robots to jump into a bucket of molten steel using a new AI model developed in simulation. At the Finnish foundry, the robots executed their AI policies in a 75-ton electric arc furnace, despite extreme heat and electromagnetic interference that caused other equipment to fail.

Commemorative Artifacts

The metal recovered from the melted F.02 robots in Finland has been sent back to the US. This metal will be machined into a limited series of artifacts to commemorate the F.02 fleet, preserving a part of Figure's history.