BMW Group says a trial run using a humanoid robot in vehicle production was successful.

The trial was conducted at the BMW Group Plant Spartanburg over several weeks with Figure’s latest humanoid robot, Figure 02. The robot inserted sheet metal parts into specific fixtures to be assembled as part of a chassis. The robot must be particularly dexterous to complete this production step, BMW said.

“At the same time, using a robot can save employees from having to perform ergonomically awkward and tiring tasks,” BMW said in a news release. “Together with Figure, the BMW Group is currently testing and evaluating how humanoid robots can be used safely in automobile production.”

“The developments in the field of robotics are very promising. 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,” said Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG Board of Management for Production member, in the release.

During the trial run, BMW learned what requirements must be met to integrate so-called multi-purpose robots into an existing production system, the release says. Doing so includes learning how humanoid robots communicate with the system under real conditions.

BMW and Figure said in January they had signed a commercial agreement for the robots to be used in “difficult, unsafe or tedious tasks throughout the manufacturing process.”

Now, BMW and Figure are collaborating to prepare Figure for future applications in vehicle production and continue to develop the robots based on the trial run findings.

“Figure 02 has significant technical advancements, which enable the robot to perform a wide range of complex tasks fully autonomously,” said Brett Adcock, Figure founder and CEO, in the news release.

According to Figure, its fourth-generation robot is the world’s most advanced humanoid robot. Figure 02 has three times the processing power of its predecessor; improved voice communication; better cameras, microphones, and sensors; a high-performance battery, and human-scale hands with 16 degrees of freedom per hand and human-equivalent strength, according to the release.

The companies conclude that the combination of two-legged mobility and advanced dexterity means Figure 02 is 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, according to the release.

Currently, there are no Figure AI robots at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg, and the companies haven’t shared a timetable for when that could happen.

BMW said it plans to continue working with Figure on data capturing and training capabilities for the Figure 02 robots.

Images

All images of Figure 02 provided by BMW Group