BMW has reported a successful completion of the first test stage of using humanoid robots in car production. Together with California-based Figure, the company has replaced some of its staff in Spartanburg with robots, entrusting them with some of the simpler chassis assembly routines.
The android type deployed was Figure 02, a second-generation model featuring improved eyesight and voice recognition, superior freedom of movement, higher physical strength and enhanced power efficiency.
Figure boasts that its latest android lineup is the world’s most advanced on the open market. It can perform precise manipulations requiring a high degree of coordination, such as maneuvering among obstacles and mounting complex car parts with millimeter precision.
For the test period, BMW only used one robot at the time, who was entrusted with feeding car body parts into machines for further processing and welding. Commenting on the results, the company refused to make any specific predictions as to where these robots may find use in the future. According to a BMW representative, the experiment is still far from over. Once these humanoids learn to perform their tasks well, they may be entrusted with routines either physically or ergonomically taxing for the human employees.