Figure drops new humanoid

PLUS: Softbank buys ABB's robotics unit

AuthorAuthor

Jennifer Mossalgue & Rowan Cheung
October 09, 2025

Good morning, robotics enthusiasts. Figure's next humanoid drops today. Teaser footage shows a sleek, fabric-wrapped machine draped in beige knitwear — like 1X’s Neo Gamma’s edgier sibling — with fluid motion, tactile hands, and a design that feels more consumer tech than lab prototype.

It wins on aesthetics, but can Figure deliver humanoids you'd actually want in your home?

In today’s robotics rundown:

  • Figure 03 launch: what we know

  • Softbank buys ABB’s robotics unit for $5.4B

  • Robots are now making IVF babies

  • China’s EV copycat is now a robotics player

  • Quick hits on other robotics news

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

FIGURE

Image source: Figure

The Rundown: Figure’s 03 humanoid drops today, with the California startup releasing a sleek teaser video showing swappable fabric skins, articulated feet, and advanced hands loaded with touch sensors and embedded cameras.

The details:

  • The teaser video shows Figure 03 modeling at least five different knitwear outfits, because apparently, even robots need a wardrobe now.

  • Helix, Figure’s proprietary AI platform, combines vision, language, and action to rapidly master everyday chores, like loading the washer and sorting laundry.

  • A new high-density battery pack tucked in the torso delivers up to five hours of runtime, while inductive charging on the heels promises seamless power-ups.

  • CEO Brett Adcock also recently said that Figure 02 has been assisting on the BMW X3 production line for five months, operating up to 10 hours per day.

Why it matters: Those fabric skins signal Figure is designing for living rooms, not just factory floors — swappable knits apparently soften the uncanny valley for bots to enter our home spaces. Today's reveal will show how far Figure's rapid autonomous learning translates to real-world reliability, or if it just makes for impressive demos.

SOFTBANK/ABB

Image source: ABB Robotics

The Rundown: Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group is buying ABB’s robotics division for $5.4B, merging silicon intelligence with Swiss-engineered muscle in a move to dominate the physical AI revolution.

The details:

  • ABB is abandoning its plan to spin off the robotics division as an independent company, opting instead for a full transfer to SoftBank.

  • The division’s portfolio spans high-precision factory robots, collaborative systems, and AI-ready automation platforms used by manufacturers worldwide.

  • The acquisition provides SoftBank with the missing link in its AI empire: physical infrastructure to deploy intelligence at an industrial scale.

  • Regulatory approvals across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. will determine how quickly the deal reshapes global manufacturing and supply chains.

Why it matters: ABB Robotics powers the manufacturing backbone of thousands of factories worldwide, making this $5.4B deal one of the biggest in industrial robotics history, and signaling SoftBank’s bet that AI’s next big leap lies not in software, but in machines that can sense, decide, and act at industrial scale.

MEDICAL ROBOTS

Image source: Conceivable Life Sciences

The Rundown: At least 20 children worldwide have been born through trials where robots handle the in vitro fertilization process with minimal human intervention, according to The Washington Post.

The details:

  • Startups like Conceivable and Overture Life are using robots to automate up to 205 steps in the IVF process, from egg preparation to sperm selection.

  • In Mexico City, Conceivable's Aura system is offering free robotic IVF to couples in clinical trials; the startup nabbed $50M in funding last month.

  • Overture Life’s robotic system has matched or exceeded manual fertilization rates in pilot studies, with healthy births reported in mouse and human trials.

  • The AI systems can detect subtle biomarkers in embryos and sperm that humans might miss and execute repetitive lab tasks with surgical accuracy.

Why it matters: While U.S. fertility clinics operate in a largely unregulated landscape, Mexico, Turkey, and Latin America have become testbeds for autonomous reproduction. Early results suggest these systems match — but don't outperform — elite human embryologists, at a fraction of the cost.

XPENG

Image source: XPeng

The Rundown: XPeng, once dismissed as an EV also-ran, is now exceeding expectations, per The Information. It is pushing into robotics with hundreds of humanoids — built from 70% of its own vehicle tech — already testing on factory floors.

The details:

  • Mass production is set for late 2026, with plans to roll out these robots beyond XPeng’s own factories and into public-facing showrooms.

  • XPeng’s Iron humanoids are built using its Turing AI chips, fusing automotive, cloud, and vision-language-action capabilities for next-gen automation.

  • CEO He Xiaopeng has declared robotics as the company’s “third growth curve,” transcending its EV roots to compete globally.

  • XPeng plans to pour up to $13.8B into humanoids over the next 20 years, laying the groundwork to lead China’s charge in AI-powered automation.

Why it matters: This shift from Tesla copycat to a serious robotics player isn't going unnoticed in Silicon Valley, and for good reason. A company that can mass-produce humanoids at automotive scale could undercut costs and ship well before legacy players finish prototyping.

QUICK HITS

Shanghai’s Cyan Robotics showcased its Orca humanoid walking with expressive, mood-driven gaits that mimic different human attitudes.

China’s DEEP Robotics unveiled the DR02, an industrial humanoid with full-body IP66 waterproof and dustproof protection, able to operate in –20°C to 55°C conditions.

Boston Dynamics released a new clip featuring details about how Atlas’s three-finger, seven-DOF hand, with a palm camera, was designed for reliability and speed.

Walmart is now shipping the Unitree G1 humanoid in the U.S. — basic trim only, priced at $21,600 with free shipping and the option to order up to six at a time.

China’s HumanoidExo exoskeleton reportedly lets Unitree G1 robots learn human motions and reach 80% success on complex tasks, using only a handful of demos.

Amazon’s Frontier AI & Robotics team and partners created ResMimic, a two-stage learning system that enables humanoids to carry boxes with precision.

Ati Motors, an Indian company in AI and autonomous robotics, announced the launch of its latest robotic system, the Sherpa Mecha humanoid.

Qualcomm announced it will acquire Arduino, making the Italian electronics prototyping company an independent subsidiary to deepen its ties with robot makers.

Lucid Bots launched painting and coating capabilities for its Sherpa Drone, marking the first large-scale robotic system to automate commercial painting.

A Romanian research team developed ARGUS, an autonomous robotic platform that patrols physical spaces while scanning for hackers and intruders.

Italian startup Cyberwave raised €7M less than a week after launch to build a developer-first automation platform, touted as the “Hugging Face of robotics.”

COMMUNITY

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Rowan, Jennifer, and Joey—The Rundown’s editorial team