Each robot uses a sophisticated AI system, cameras, microphones and sensors to interact with the world.
August 8, 2024 20:31
- During the trial, which lasted several weeks, the Figure 02 robot was used to insert sheet metal parts.
- Each robot is made by a California company called Figure.
- BMW has not yet said if or when it will use such robots permanently in its factories.
Tesla isn’t the only automaker using humanoid robots in its factories. BMW also recently conducted a trial run of advanced robots at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The advanced robot, called Figure 02 and built by Californian robotics company Figure, has been used for weeks to insert sheet metal parts into a specific fixture before being used to assemble a section of a car chassis.
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BMW said it will continue to develop the robots in partnership with Figure after the trial and may use them more frequently in the future. The German automaker added that the trial gave it valuable information about how to incorporate robots into existing production systems, noting that humanoid robots like these could prevent employees from performing “awkward and tiring tasks that are not ergonomically sound.”
A video released by BMW shows a group of robots moving around a BMW factory, picking up and placing various metal pieces. Figure 02 uses a complex artificial intelligence system equipped with advanced cameras, microphones and sensors. It even has hands with the same grip as humans. Much like Tesla’s humanoid robot, 02 walks slowly and looks clumsy. But it doesn’t require health care or sick leave, so using robots like this could eventually help automakers like BMW save on labor costs.
“The field of robotics has a very promising future,” said Milan Nedeljkovic, member of the BMW AG Board of Management for Production. “Through early test runs, we are now identifying possible applications for humanoid robots in production. We want to accompany this technology from development to industrialization.”
BMW said there is no clear timeline for when it will be able to use humanoid robots like Figure 02 permanently at its U.S. factories.
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