This humanoid robot could assemble your next BMW
Carmakers Honda (Asimo) and Tesla (Optimus) aren't the only ones working on humanoid robots. BMW also has its own and is currently studying the possibility of using them to assemble vehicles.
The German manufacturer turned to California-based Figure, whose latest model, called Figure 02, is the one pictured here. During a recent test run in the body shop of its Spartanburg, South Carolina plant, robots successfully inserted sheet metal parts into specific modules, which were then fitted to the chassis. According to BMW, this is a task that requires dexterity.
The idea is to spare assembly line workers from strenuous or non-ergonomic tasks.
"Developments in the field of robotics are very promising. With these preliminary tests, we are now trying to identify possible applications for humanoid robots in automotive production. We want to accompany this technology from development through to industrial implementation," explains Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG Board Member in charge of Production.
Among other things, the builder needs to see how these robots communicate with systems under existing and future production conditions, what their efficiency and constraints are, and then how they can be integrated safely and smoothly with human workers and work areas.
According to Figure, the Figure 02 humanoid robot is the most advanced of its kind on the market today. Its data processing power is three times greater than that of the previous model, voice communication is more advanced, cameras, microphones and sensors are better, the battery has greater autonomy and the hands have a size and strength equivalent to those of a human.
What's more, its operation is completely autonomous and its movements are precise to the millimetre.
BMW cannot yet say if or when such robots will join its workforce at the Spartanburg plant, which assembles the BMW X3, X4, X5, X6, X7 and XM. We can't help but wonder what the UAW union thinks too. Avoiding tasks for employees is one thing, but cutting jobs is quite another.
