Figure, a California-based company focused on developing autonomous humanoid robots, has announced a commercial agreement with BMW Manufacturing to deploy the general-purpose robot in an automotive manufacturing environment.
Figure’s humanoid robots are designed to automate difficult, unsafe or monotonous tasks in the manufacturing process, allowing employees to focus on skills and processes that cannot be automated, improving production efficiency and safety. The two parties will advance their cooperation through a milestone approach, initially identifying initial use cases for automotive production, and then gradually deploying Figure robots at BMW’s manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The video shows Figure’s collaboration with the BMW Group at the Spartanburg plant, which aims to achieve fully automated operations. AI-driven visual models and neural networks are used in the project to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of all grasping actions. This collaboration demonstrates the application prospects of future factory automation technology.
Under the agreement, BMW Manufacturing and Figure will adopt a milestone-based approach. In the first phase, Figure will identify initial use cases for the Figure robot in automotive production. The goal of this phase is to validate the robot’s feasibility and effectiveness and lay the foundation for subsequent large-scale deployment. After the first phase is completed, the Figure robot will begin a phased deployment at BMW’s manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Once the initial use cases are validated, Figure robots will begin a phased deployment at BMW’s manufacturing facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Each phase of deployment will gradually expand the application scope of robots on the production line and ensure the maturity of technology and operations.
In addition to the robotics deployment, Figure and BMW will jointly explore a number of advanced technologies, including:
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Improving robots’ ability to learn and adapt autonomously, enabling them to complete tasks more intelligently.
Robot control: Develop more advanced robot control systems to improve accuracy and efficiency.
Manufacturing virtualization: Optimize production processes and improve overall manufacturing efficiency through virtual simulation technology.
Robotic Integration: Explore the seamless integration of robots into existing manufacturing systems to ensure the stability and continuity of production lines.
Cooperation objectives:
Improve production efficiency: Reduce manual intervention through robotic automation and improve the efficiency and consistency of the production line.
Reduced costs: Robots can work for a long time and have low maintenance costs, thereby reducing the overall production costs.
Improve safety: Automate hazardous and monotonous tasks to reduce worker safety risks.
Technological innovation: Through cooperation with Figure, BMW can introduce the latest robotics technology to remain competitive in the industry.
