BMW ‘deploys’ Figure 02 humanoid robot in production

The BMW Group is experimenting with humanoid robots in a real production environment in its plant in Spartanburg, US. The latest generation of robots, ‘Figure 02’, made by the Californian robotics company Figure, has been successfully tested in the production unit. Both partners collaborate to prepare the robots for future production applications and continue developing them based on the findings.

During a trial run lasting several weeks at the Spartanburg production plant, the robot had to insert sheet metal parts into specific fixtures, which were assembled as part of the chassis. The robot must be particularly dexterous to complete this production step.

‘Promising results’

Together with Figure, the BMW Group is currently testing and evaluating how humanoid robots can be used safely in automobile production. Robots can save employees from performing ergonomically awkward and tiring tasks. During the test run, the BMW Group gained valuable knowledge of the requirements to integrate so-called multi-purpose robots into an existing production system.

“The developments in robotics are promising. With an early test operation, we are now determining possible applications for humanoid robots in production,” says Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management for Production at BMW AG.

World’s most advanced humanoid robot

“We are excited to unveil Figure 02, our second-generation humanoid robot. It has significant technical advancements, which enable the robot to perform a wide range of complex tasks fully autonomously,” says Brett Adcock, Founder and CEO of Figure.

According to the California company, Figure 02 is the world’s most advanced humanoid robot. Its combination of two-legged mobility and advanced dexterity makes it ideally suited for use in areas with physically demanding, unsafe, or repetitive processes, thereby improving ergonomics and safety for associates.

The robot is capable of fully autonomous execution of human-like and two-handed tasks, requiring varied and dynamic manipulation, complex grasping, and coordination of both hands in unison. It can place various complex parts with accuracy measured in millimeters and can walk dynamically, leveraging the efficiencies of the robot’s design.

Doggy-like robots

In May this year, BMW announced the arrival of ‘SpOTTO,’ a four-legged robot dog equipped with visual, thermal, and acoustic sensors that act like a watchdog. It oversees the maintenance of production facilities at the BMW Group Plant Hams Hall in the UK and collects data for the factory’s ‘digital twin’.

SpOTTO can perform numerous maintenance tasks. He monitors the temperature of manufacturing equipment and immediately recognizes if an installation is running too hot, which is an early sign of potential failure. With its four legs, the ‘doggy robot’ is much more stable than a humanoid robot on two legs. It can climb stairs, handle rough terrain, and access places humans can’t go.