Humanoid Robots Enter the Automotive Manufacturing Industry: Figure Reaches Milestone Cooperation with BMW

Humanoid Robots Officially Enter the Factory to Screw! Figure AI, a humanoid robot company, has reached a commercial cooperation agreement with the German automotive manufacturing giant Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW), planning to introduce universal humanoid robots to the automotive production line. This cooperation marks an important step for universal robots in industrial applications. Traditional industrial robots are usually designed for specific tasks, while Figure's humanoid robots are intended to perform a wider range of work, with the potential to undertake various complex, dangerous, or repetitive tasks in the manufacturing process. Brett Adcock, the founder and CEO of Figure, stated that the market potential for universal robots has not been fully tapped. He believes that Figure's robots will help companies improve productivity, reduce costs, and create a safer and more consistent working environment. This vision aligns with BMW's manufacturing company's innovation strategy. Dr. Robert Engelhorn, President and CEO of BMW Manufacturing, emphasized that the automotive industry is evolving rapidly, and the company is committed to integrating innovative technologies into production systems. He believes that universal robot solutions have the potential to increase production efficiency, meet the growing demands of consumers, and enable employees to focus on future transformation work. This collaboration adopts a two-step deployment approach. In the first phase, Figure will identify the initial use cases for applying its robots in automotive production. Once completed, Figure's robots will begin phased deployment at BMW's manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Figure1 is now executing a complete end-to-end BMW use case, learning all operations through a pixel-to-action neural network sampled 200 times per second. The learned behaviors need to be very precise (insertion of metal plates <1 cm) and must remain effective over long periods. It is worth noting that this collaboration is not limited to the deployment of robots. Both parties will also explore advanced technology topics such as artificial intelligence, robot control, manufacturing virtualization, and robot integration. The collaboration goal is not only to improve current production efficiency but also to shape the future intelligent manufacturing blueprint. Figure AI is a company focused on developing universal humanoid robots. Founded by Brett Adcock in 2022, Figure AI aims to develop universal humanoid robots that can work in real environments to address labor shortages and improve productivity. Figure AI has attracted a large amount of investment. In June 2023, the company announced the completion of a $750 million financing round, with a valuation of $2.2 billion Figure AI has established partnerships with some well-known companies, such as OpenAI and Microsoft. In the field of humanoid robots, Figure AI faces competition from companies like Boston Dynamics and Tesla