BMW Says Humanoid Robots Will Support, Not Replace Workers

It also is an expansion of what BMW calls its “Physical AI” strategy, which aims to blend artificial intelligence and robotics on the factory floor.... The action in Leipzig is a pilot project for now, but it does follow earlier trials at BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant, where humanoid robots developed by California-based Figure AI were tested for nearly a year. In fact, BMW Group says it is deploying these humanoid robots in regular production at its Leipzig plant in Germany. The move will mark the first time a European manufacturing facility will “benefit” from human-shaped machines. It also is an expansion of what BMW calls its “Physical AI” strategy, which aims to blend artificial intelligence and robotics on the factory floor.... The action in Leipzig is a pilot project for now, but it does follow earlier trials at BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant, where humanoid robots developed by California-based Figure AI were tested for nearly a year. And yet, automotive factories are already among the most automated industrial environments in the world, and conventional robotic arms have long handled many high-precision, ergonomically demanding tasks. Humanoid robots add a ton of complexity and cost, meaning they must demonstrate they can operate reliably, safely, and economically at scale before they become more than high-profile pilots. Not exactly, says BMW, but the automaker is about to embark on it’s first foray into humanoid-robot experimentation.