Video of the Week: Figure Helix & Dishes

OK, so the robots are slowly ticking off all the really important things;

✔️ Sorting packages

✔️ Folding laundry

✔️ Carrying weapons

And now they've got to one of the big, end-level Bosses: Dishwasher stacking.

If your family is anything like mine, this ridiculously simple task is endlessly argued over by all flavours of teenager. Frankly, the robots can have as many flamethrowers as they like* if they can finally solve the meal-end McCallion Standoff, with its transparent flounces off to the toilet and wild accusations of desertion, stonewalling and turn-based treachery.

So this latest video from the heroes at Figure shows their Helix model calmly, silently, without a single tea-towel flick at anyone else, putting dishes into the dishwasher. The level of calm is striking. The gentle hum of its motors is soothing.

This is not going to end in the slam of a door or the threat of removed internet privileges; peace beckons. Perhaps even a shared movie night ...

One thing, though - these bots use training data from the real world to learn how to do all of these tasks. I can't help but observe that this one seems to have been trained using only the data from people that hate stacking the dishwasher, including probably my sons. Hurling bowls and plates into the top tier willy-nilly, then cavalierly closing the door and wandering off as if the job has been completed, is precisely what those of us that care about clean dishes hate.

They may have solved the disagreements - but more is needed, training-wise, before I'll let Helix anywhere near my dirty crockery. Guess it'll be a while before post-prandial peace breaks out in the McCallion kitchen ...

* Actually maybe just one each, don't want things getting out of hand.

Appreciation to Matt Goddard who shared this video during our podcast this week. If you don't subscribe to the Property AI Report, you're missing out on more nonsense like this - BUT ALSO important stuff about what's happening in the paired worlds of property and AI. Click here to remedy this situation - you won't regret it!