At the Spartanburg plant, BMW will produce cars thanks to the support of humanoid robots created by the Californian startup Figure
The car company BMW announced a new phase of automation at the plant Spartanburg, South Carolina, in the United States. Here, in fact, it will produce cars with the help of humanoid robots developed by the Californian startup Figure. This collaboration represents an important step for Figure, founded in 2022, as it marks its first commercial partnership with an external brand. THE humanoid robots produced by Figure will be integrated into BMW’s production line in Spartanburg, where models such as the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7 and XM are assembled. According to Brett Adcock, CEO of Figure, robots will help increase productivity, reduce costs and create a safer working environment and consistent in the American BMW factory. The decision to use humanoid robots reflects a change in approach with respect to disposable roboticsnow considered saturated in the commercial market.
The BMW company enters a new phase with humanoid robots
Currently, the Spartanburg factory is already highly automated, but the collaboration with Figure foresees a new phase of integration of humanoid robots. The agreement provides for a multi-phase approach, with Figure identifying areas where humanoid robots will be most useful and gradually rolling them out across the factory floor. It is estimated that the integration process could take 12 to 24 months.
Figure’s goal is to design robots that can deliver security measures for humans. A crucial element considering that the Spartanburg plant currently has one workforce of 11,000 people. This initiative by BMW follows the trend in the automotive sector, with other brands such as Tesla and Hyundai already integrating general purpose robots into their manufacturing plants. For example, Tesla uses the humanoid robot Optimus, while Hyundai has adopted robots from Boston Dynamics, acquired by the Korean automaker.
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