Figure destroys retired humanoid robot fleet in Finnish steel furnace with Arnold Schwarzenegger

Fleet retirement and Hollywood inspiration

American robotics company Figure decided to retire its fleet of F.02 humanoid robots after determining that the machines were no longer maintainable. Company leadership chose complete physical destruction to protect custom-built actuators and proprietary intellectual property from potential leaks, while simultaneously clearing workshop space to accelerate manufacturing for its next-generation humanoid model. Manual disassembly was ruled out because the process was projected to be excessively slow and expensive. Seeking alternative approaches, Figure solicited recommendations from the public through online platforms. Actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger responded directly to Figure chief executive Brett Adcock with the suggestion to melt the machines in liquid metal. The concept directly mirrored the conclusion of the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day, where Schwarzenegger's T-800 character lowers himself into molten steel to eliminate advanced technology.

Training routines at California headquarters

Before any hardware could be destroyed, Figure engineers had to develop autonomous jumping routines for the humanoids. At the company headquarters in San Jose, California, the engineering team designed a specialized artificial intelligence model that used movement data from action-movie stunt performers to calculate jump trajectories. Testing took place inside the facility, where F.02 robots were repeatedly trained to leap from a second-floor platform onto large inflatable mattresses that simulated the opening of an industrial furnace. The algorithms were refined until the robots could reliably execute accurate jumps without human intervention, preparing the machines to navigate complex physical obstacles at the disposal site.

Securing the Finnish foundry

Locating an industrial facility willing to process humanoid machines proved to be a significant logistical hurdle. Figure contacted multiple metal foundries across the United States and Mexico, but every facility rejected the proposal out of concern that the robots' internal lithium-ion battery packs could explode or cause damage to expensive manufacturing equipment. After extensive outreach, a steel foundry in Imatra, Finland, agreed to host the disposal project. The Finnish plant made its 75-ton electric arc furnace available to the robotics team, providing the operational environment required to melt the metal structures down completely.

Furnace disposal and promotional production

Upon arrival in Finland, the F.02 robots carried out their autonomous tasks despite extreme heat and strong electromagnetic fields generated around the furnace. The 75-ton electric arc furnace processed the entire decommissioned fleet across six separate melting operations within 24 hours. Figure documented the event in a promotional video featuring Schwarzenegger, who stood by the furnace. In the footage, one humanoid gripped a suspension chain to lower itself into the molten vat, while others executed tumbling dives into the crucible. Schwarzenegger exchanged a thumbs-up gesture with a submerging robot and delivered the line "Hasta la vista, Figure 02."

We really trained robots to jump autonomously, shipped them to Finland, and had them leap into a vat of molten steel.

Commemorative merchandise and next steps

Following the furnace operation, Figure retained only a small number of F.02 units for archival purposes while converting the remaining melted metal into commercial souvenirs. The foundry poured the recovered steel into commemorative metal bullion bars, which the company listed for online preorder. Pricing was set at $500 for standard edition bars and $1,900 for premium bars, with the higher-priced tier selling out following the release of the video. The proceeds and hardware retirement mark the end of the F.02 operational cycle as the company transitions its engineering resources toward its successor platform.