BMW Travels To The Future By Trialing Humanoid Robots At US Plant

Tesla isn’t the only car manufacturer working to use humanoid robots at its factories as recently, BMW conducted a trial run of an advanced robot at its factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

The advanced robot is known as the Figure 02, and comes from Californian robots firm Figure. For several weeks, the robot was used to insert sheet metal parts into specific fixtures that were later used to assemble part of a vehicle chassis.

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BMW says that after the trial, it will work with Figure to continue developing the robots and may use them more frequently in the future. The German automaker added that the trial provided it with valuable information about how to incorporate robots into an existing production system and notes that humanoid robots like this can prevent employees from performing “ergonomically awkward and tiring tasks.”

A video released by BMW shows a fleet of robots strolling around the BMW factory and picking up and placing various pieces of metal. The Figure 02 uses a complex AI system and features advanced cameras, microphones, and sensors. It even has hands with the grip strength of a human. Much like Tesla’s humanoid robot, the 02 walks slowly and looks awkward. But heck, it doesn’t require healthcare or sick leave, so using robots like this could eventually help automakers like BMW save money on labor.

“The developments in the field of robotics are very promising,” member of the board of management for production at BMW AG, Milan Nedeljkovic, said. “With an early test operation, we are now determining possible applications for humanoid robots in production. We want to accompany this technology from development to industrialization.”

BMW says there’s no definitive timeline as to when humanoid robots like the Figure 02 could be used on a permanent basis in its U.S. plant.