“System 1, System 2” architecture could bring versatile robot assistants from warehouses to homes sooner than expected
Humanoid Robot Race Accelerates as Figure Unveils Revolutionary Helix AI System
Figure is setting a blistering pace in the humanoid robotics industry, outstripping competitors with breakthrough technological advancements that could fundamentally transform robotics applications.
According to this article, CEO Brett Adcock attributes the company’s accelerated timeline to swift progress in its Helix AI system, a first-of-its-kind generalist Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model that unifies perception, language understanding, and learned control. Unlike previous robotics systems, Helix operates through a novel “System 1, System 2” architecture:
- System 2: An onboard internet-pretrained VLM operating at 7-9 Hz for scene understanding and language comprehension
- System 1: A fast reactive visuomotor policy that translates semantic representations into precise continuous robot actions at 200 Hz
This groundbreaking approach enables Figure robots to control their entire upper body—including wrists, torso, head, and individual fingers—while understanding natural language commands and adapting to new objects they’ve never encountered before.
In a significant update, Figure revealed that Helix has been enhanced to deliver faster and more precise movements, allowing its robots to handle packages and perform sorting tasks—capabilities essential for warehouse operations. This rapid commercialization is possible because Helix runs entirely on embedded low-power GPUs, making it immediately ready for deployment.
Most impressively, Figure has demonstrated that its robots can now pick up virtually any small household object and even collaborate with each other to complete complex tasks like grocery storage—all using a single set of neural network weights without any task-specific fine-tuning. This represents a fundamental shift in how robots learn and adapt to new environments.
The humanoid robot market is becoming increasingly competitive. OpenAI-backed 1X recently demonstrated its Neo Gamma robot performing household duties including cleaning, food service, and grocery carrying. Though 1X claims its deployment timeline is “close,” the company has yet to announce specific dates for commercial availability.
Meanwhile, Apptronik partnered with Google DeepMind last December to integrate advanced AI into its robots and announced yesterday that its Apollo robot will be employed in a unique application: manufacturing copies of itself on assembly lines. While Apptronik also envisions home applications for its technology, the company focuses on mastering industrial applications before targeting the consumer market.
As these companies race to bring humanoid robots to market, Figure’s Helix AI represents a potential breakthrough in scaling robotic applications from industrial settings to the unpredictable environments of homes—potentially shrinking the timeline for having a robot assistant from years to just months.
The most profound potential of Figure’s Helix AI lies not in industrial efficiency, but in its capacity to provide companionship and assistance to those most vulnerable in our society. For elderly individuals living alone, people with disabilities, and those with limited mobility, these advanced humanoid robots could represent more than just a technological marvel—they could be a lifeline.
Imagine a robot capable of understanding nuanced commands, performing delicate tasks like retrieving medication, preparing meals, or helping with personal care. For someone with limited mobility, such a robot could restore a sense of independence and dignity. The ability to comprehend natural language and adapt to unique household environments means these robots could provide personalized assistance far beyond current caregiving technologies.
Moreover, for individuals with conditions like dementia or severe physical disabilities, a robot that can understand emotional context and respond sensitively could offer crucial support. The multi-robot collaboration demonstrated by Helix suggests future possibilities of coordinated care, where multiple robots might work together to assist a single individual.
However, this transformative potential is accompanied by profound ethical risks. The same technological capabilities that make these robots excellent caregivers could make them dangerous if misused. In the wrong hands—whether by military organizations developing autonomous weapons or criminal networks exploring new forms of technological exploitation—these robots’ advanced perception and action capabilities become deeply concerning.
The ability to understand complex language, manipulate objects with precision, and operate autonomously are precisely the characteristics that could make such robots potential tools for surveillance, unauthorized data collection, or even physical harm. International regulations and robust ethical frameworks will be crucial in ensuring that this technology serves humanity’s best interests.
As we stand on the cusp of this robotic revolution, the ultimate impact of humanoid robots like those developed by Figure will depend not just on technological advancement, but on our collective commitment to using these remarkable machines as instruments of care, compassion, and human empowerment.
