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BMW’s newest autoworkers are 5 '6," 130 pounds, and can work through the day, but they need to be charged every five hours.
In a first-of-its-kind deal, robotics startup Figure has signed a deal with BMW to deploy its humanoid robots in the car maker's facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Details: While the specifics of the deal are still under wraps, Figure’s CEO Brett Adcock said the partnership will start with small quantities and expand if performance targets are met.
- First, Figure will identify use cases to apply its robots in BMW’s production lines
- Next, the robots will be deployed in stages at the Spartanburg plant.
- Additionally, Figure and BMW will “explore cutting-edge tech like AI, robot control, manufacturing virtualization and robot integration."
Adcock emphasized the safety of these robots in human-adjacent operations, saying, "We have designed the robot to be safe next to humans. Working with BMW on automation in a manufacturing facility is a huge validator for us in the space."
Why it matters: Robots aren't new to car assembly lines, but they've typically been used to perform repetitive, singular tasks. On the other hand, humanoids are versatile robots that use AI to learn and perform a wide array of tasks , promising to mirror human workers.
But humanoid robots are relatively hard to build… which is why they’re still a rare sight.
- Agility Robotics makes a robot called Digit that’s being tested by Amazon toting containers in a warehouse.
- Apptronik’s Apollo can also do warehouse work, and is also working with NASA on humanoid commercialization.
- Other players include Tesla’s Optimus, Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, and Sanctuary AI’s Phoenix.
While we might not see humanoids replacing human workers anytime soon, the ongoing advancements in this field are poised to reshape industrial operations in the near future.
