The robot's job was to put sheet metal parts into fixtures for making car frames. This task needs a lot of skill and can be tiring for human workers. BMW wanted to see if robots could do this safely and well.
Milan Nedeljković, who's in charge of production at BMW, said:
"The developments in the field of robotics are very promising. With an early test operation, we are now determining possible applications for humanoid robots in production. We want to accompany this technology from development to industrialization."
The Figure 02 is made by a California company called Figure. It's said to be the most advanced humanoid robot you can buy right now. It can walk on two legs, use its hands well, and do complex tasks on its own.
Brett Adcock, Founder and CEO of Figure, explained:
"We are excited to unveil Figure 02, our second-generation humanoid robot, which recently completed successful testing at the BMW Group Plant Spartanburg. Figure 02 has significant technical advancements, which enable the robot to perform a wide range of complex tasks fully autonomously."
The robot has gotten better of its predecessor in many ways. It's three times faster at thinking, talks better, and has better cameras and sensors. Its hands are as strong as a human's and can move in 16 different ways.
BMW wants to learn how to use these robots in their factories. They're looking at how the robots can communicate to other machines and how to get them ready for real work.
Right now, there aren't any Figure robots working at BMW's Spartanburg plant. The company hasn't decided when they'll bring the robots in for good. But BMW will keep working with Figure to make the robots better at learning and doing tasks.
Source: BMW
