BMW has signed a first-of-its-kind deal to put “humanoid” robots to work at one of its factories.
The bipedal bot, which is simply dubbed the “Figure 01,” stands 5’6" tall, weighs 130 pounds, and has five-fingered hands that the company claims can be used to physically construct objects.
The related press release speaks of the “deployment of humanoid robots in an automotive manufacturing environment” and claims the robots will focus on “difficult, unsafe, or tedious tasks,” all of which sounds pretty vague.
The press release further states that, as part of the first phase of the deal, the two companies will work together to “identify initial use cases to apply the Figure robots in automotive production.” Again, the wording here sorta makes it sound like both companies are a bit unclear on what the robots will actually be doing.
After the two firms finally agree on what the Figure 01 can do, some of the bots will be deployed to one of BMW’s manufacturing facilities in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
“Figure’s robots will enable companies to increase productivity, reduce costs, and create a safer and more consistent environment.”
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