Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

How about a humanoid robot as your running partner?

Watch Figure's robot out for a run with some of the people who helped create it.

Add as a preferred source on Google
The Figure 02 robot looking at its own hand
Figure Robotics

A new video released by California-based tech firm Figure AI shows its humanoid robot out for a run with workers from the firm.

The robot’s running style looks steady and natural as it jogs along with three guys (or four if you count the person recording it). It even raises the idea of one day using the robot as a personal trainer.

Announcing new fitness program at Figure pic.twitter.com/0PcGljahL1

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) January 15, 2026

Imagine, for running, it could set the proper pace as you prep for your first marathon. And think how cool it would look to run around the park with one of these by your side.

Recommended Videos

Admittedly, running with it out in public might not always get the best response. During its recent jog around the company’s campus, for example, a guy who clearly fears the robot uprising can be heard shouting from his car, “Those things are gonna kill us one day.”

Posted by Figure AI chief Brett Adcock, the video doesn’t say if the robot was being operated remotely as it ran, or if it was jogging autonomously.

The company unveiled the latest version of its Figure robot in October 2025 as a machine geared toward helping around the home, carrying out various chores such as loading a dishwasher, folding laundry, and serving food and drinks.

It’s not clear when Figure 03 will be ready to waltz into your home and take care of all the little jobs that you hate doing yourself, but any robotics company that can eventually crack such a design will surely be well rewarded.

Chinese startup MindOn recently got hold of one of Unitree’s G1 robots and programmed it to do tasks around the home, and a video shows it performing with aplomb — and apparently with no teleoperation involved.

Whether in the home, factory, or even as a personal trainer, this year is shaping up to be a significant one in the development of humanoid robots.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Everything You Need in Your First Laptop Without the Luxury Price Tag 
The Dell 15 makes its case that budget laptops do not have to feel cheap, or sluggish.
everything you need in your first laptop without the luxury price tag dell 15 dc15250 stylish narrow bezels

The PC market has never been more diverse, and utterly punishing on the wallet, thanks to the AI boom and resultant price inflation we are seeing in 2026. Most people shopping for a pocket-friendly laptop don’t necessarily care about core counts, clock speeds, or refresh rates. They want something that opens Chrome quickly, plays Netflix without stuttering, and survives a few years of assignments.

For a long time, that was too much to ask. I’ve tested plenty of budget laptops that felt tired out of the box, with plastic that flexed under my palms and fans that roared every time I opened a few tabs. Most of them felt noticeably slower within a year.

Read more
OpenAI is merging Chat and Work into one ChatGPT experience
Following Anthropic's lead, OpenAI is bringing its Chat and Work capabilities together.
Using ChatGPT on a phone.

OpenAI is making a few changes to how ChatGPT handles conversations and more complicated work. The company is now planning to merge the Chat and Work tabs into a single experience, allowing users to ask questions and get things done without having to switch between different tabs. The change will initially be available to select users before a wider rollout.

For the unaware, Anthropic made a similar change to Claude back in September, when it merged the Chat and Cowork functions into one screen.

Read more
The iPhone Duo taught the iPad a much-needed lesson in multitasking. iPadOS 27.2 makes Split View less of a chore.
A small iPad tweak that fixes a big daily annoyance.
Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

It’s funny when a brand-new phone teaches an old tablet a lesson. That’s exactly what the iPhone Duo seems to have done for the iPad. I’m genuinely glad somebody at Apple was paying attention, as it was overdue.

iPadOS 27.2 makes setting up side-by-side apps on an iPad much easier, and it is an iPad multitasker’s dream come true if you ask me.

Read more