BMW trials humanoid robots at US assembly plant

The BMW Group is exploring the use of humanoid robots in production.

During a trial run over several weeks at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the US, the latest humanoid robot Figure 02 from California company Figure successfully inserted sheet metal parts into specific fixtures, a dexterous task, which were then assembled as part of the chassis.

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

Figure 02 boasts three times the processing power of its predecessor, improved voice communication, better cameras, microphones and sensors, a high-performance battery, and fourth-generation human-scale hands with 16 degrees of freedom per hand and human-equivalent strength.

The robot is capable of fully autonomous execution of human-like and two-handed tasks requiring varied and dynamic manipulation, complex grasping and co-ordination of both hands in unison. It is able place various complex parts with accuracy measured in millimetres.

“The developments in the field of robotics are 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 industrialisation,” said Milan Nedeljković, member of the board of management for production at BMW.

With the BMW iFACTORY, the vision for the production of the future, the BMW Group is on the lookout for new technologies. During the trial run, the BMW Group said it gained valuable knowledge of what requirements must be met to be able to integrate multipurpose robots in an existing production system.

This includes how humanoid robots communicate with the system under real conditions. After the first use in car production, the experts at the BMW Group and Figure are collaborating to prepare the Figure 02 for future applications in production and continuing to develop the robots, based on the findings.

“We are excited to unveil Figure 02, our second-generation humanoid robot, which recently completed successful testing at the BMW Group Plant Spartanburg. Figure 02 has technical advancements, which enable the robot to perform a wide range of complex tasks fully autonomously,” said Brett Adcock, founder and CEO of Figure.