SPARTANBURG, SC—BMW engineers recently conducted a test with humanoid robots at its assembly plant here. They used a Figure 02 machine made by FigureAI Inc.
The robot successfully inserted sheet metal parts into specific fixtures, which were then assembled as part of the chassis. It saved humans from having to perform ergonomically awkward and tiring tasks.
“The developments in the field of robotics are very promising,” says Milan Nedeljković, a member of the board of management for production at BMW AG. “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.”
During the trial run, BMW engineers focused on how to integrate multipurpose robots into an existing production system, including how humanoids communicate with it under real conditions.
“Figure 02 has significant technical advancements, which enable the robot to perform a wide range of complex tasks fully autonomously,” says Brett Adcock, CEO of FigureAI, who claims the machine is “the world’s most advanced humanoid robot currently available on the market.”
The combination of two-legged mobility and advanced dexterity means that Figure 02 is ideally suited for use in areas with physically demanding, unsafe or repetitive processes. According to Adcock, the next-generation machine features three times the processing power of its predecessor, improved voice communication, and better cameras, microphones and sensors.
The robot is capable of fully autonomous execution of human-like, two-handed tasks requiring varied and dynamic manipulation, complex grasping and coordination of both hands in unison.
