A robot retirement rarely involves a 75-ton furnace, but Figure chose exactly that route for its ageing F.02 humanoid machines. The unusual decommissioning has gained renewed attention recently, especially after an earlier exchange between Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock and Arnold Schwarzenegger resurfaced.
The story began on August 19, when Adcock posted on X that Figure had “loved” the F.02 but was running out of space at its headquarters. He asked users for ideas for a “proper sendoff” for the retired robots.
Schwarzenegger, known for his role as the Terminator, offered a characteristically fitting suggestion: “You should melt them.”
Figure AI eventually did just that.
The company had a practical reason for retiring the F.02 fleet. Its newer F.03 robots were increasing in number, while keeping the older machines at its headquarters was taking up valuable space. Dismantling the robots was also not an easy option because they contain proprietary technology.
Figure said handing the machines to another company was not appropriate, while assigning an internal team to dismantle them would divert engineers from other projects, including the F.04.
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Instead, the company turned the retirement into an elaborate final mission.
Before the robots could take their last jump, Figure trained them to leap from the second floor of its office onto an airbag. The company also worked with a foundry in Finland that agreed to accept the robots despite the complications involved in processing machines containing lithium batteries.
The foundry gave Figure 24 hours and six melts to complete the operation.
The F.02 robots reportedly continued functioning until their final moments. They were exposed to the intense heat of molten steel and electromagnetic fields generated by the high-voltage system powering the furnace.
Then came the scene that made the entire operation look straight out of a Terminator film.
As one F.02 disappeared into the molten metal, it appeared to raise a hand in a thumbs-up gesture.
The resulting metal was cast into bars and transported back to the US, where some of it has been turned into limited-edition memorabilia commemorating the F.02.
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Most of Figure's F.02 fleet has now been melted down and recycled. Only a few remain at the company's headquarters, marking an unusual end to a generation of humanoid robots.
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