Shinny, silvery, human-shaped robots about the size of lightweight boxers are about to arrive at BMW’s factories in the United States. The automaker recently struck an advertising deal with robotics startup Figure to bring its “general-purpose” humanoid robot to BMW’s production facility, starting with its Spartanburg, South Carolina, facility. The deal puts BMW in a race with Tesla and other automakers that have embraced a vision of humanoid robots in a bid to further automate their already tech-rich facilities. They’re coming, but no one knows exactly what to do with them yet.
The Figure robot is a 5’6, 130-pound bipedal piece of steel capable of lifting about forty-five pounds and walking up to 2. 7 miles per hour. Figure, which aims to make “the world’s first commercially viable general-purpose humanoid robot. “”, says its Figure 01 style can run for about five hours before needing to be recharged. While it’s unclear exactly how the robot will work in an automotive plant, Figura believes its device will “enable the automation of difficult, dangerous, or tedious tasks. “
As to what the humanoid robots will be doing at the factory exactly, Figure spokesperson told PopSci that “tasks have yet to be announced publicly.” A BMW spokesperson said that the automakers are “investigating concepts.”
The agreement between BMW and Figura has several phases. As a first step, corporations will seek to “identify early use cases” of robots. Once established, the robots will make their debut at BMW’s production plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A BMW spokesperson at the South Carolina plant told PopSci it’s about tactics for using the humanoid robot in the facility and said it could prove convenient in situations where two hands are needed to master certain objects. The BMW spokesperson did not provide further specific use examples and said there is currently no timeline related to the robot’s arrival at the site.
“BMW is exploring the latest technologies to make our processes more efficient. Companies that invest in this type of innovation are more sustainable, become more productive, and have a competitive advantage,” the spokesperson told PopSci. “We want the right equipment for the future and this is just one tool in our toolbox that can be used. “
A spokesperson for Figure, meanwhile, told PopSci their goal is to have robots perform in the BMW manufacturing facility sometime in 2024.
Robots in car factories aren’t anything new, but up until now they’ve mostly resembled single-purposed machines only capable of performing specific preset tasks. Robotics manufacturers like Figure believe their new Humanoid robots, made in the image of humans, could act as a type of generalist able to walk a factory floor and perform various tasks. The inclusion of hands, for example, could help the Figure bot open doors and use tools. Arms and legs, meanwhile, could help the robot climb up stairs, traverse terrain, and lift heavy boxes.
[Related: Hyundai’s robotic electric vehicle plant in Singapore is fully operational]
“Single-purpose robotics have saturated the commercial market for decades, but the potential of general purpose robotics is completely untapped,” Figure Founder and CEO Brett Adcock said in a statement. “Figure’s robots will enable companies to increase productivity, reduce costs, and create a safer and more consistent environment.”
“Figure 01 combines the dexterity of the human form and next-generation AI to go beyond single-function robots and provide assistance in manufacturing, logistics, warehousing and retail,” notes the Figure in your website.
Figure vaguely says it uses AI to create “intelligent embodied agents” that can interact with real-world environments in single, unstructured real-world scenarios. Recently, the company released this video that purports to show the AI of the robot Figure to learn how to brew a cup of Keurig coffee after drinking 10 hours of footage.
BMW’s new deal with Figure comes about 3 years after Tesla announced its own plans to introduce hugyoid robots with synthetic intelligence into its factories. At the time, Tesla’s robot was a dancer dressed in tight spandex. Since then, Tesla has shown off several prototipos. de its “Optimus” robot that features a similar frame design to the Figure model. The most recent version of Optimus is said to be able to crouch and stroke eggs, but it’s not yet clear exactly how that will translate to car building. Elon, CEO of Tesla Musk had in the past told investors that the importance of Optimus “would become apparent in several years” and even warned that this amazing device could one day be worth more than Tesla’s cars. Tesla did not immediately respond to PopSci’s request for comment.
Whether Musk’s predictions come true or not, other larger-scale brands are taking note. In 2021, automation giant Hyundai finalized the $1. 1 billion acquisition of Boston Dynamics, which is best known for creating bizarre videos of towering humanoid robots performing backflips and bureaucracy. gymnastics. Outside of the auto industry, Amazon recently revealed that it was testing a two-pedal humanoid robot from a company called Digit that it said could one day paint alongside painters in warehouses.
So why so much interest in robots now?A recent article in the Wall Street Journal suggests that automakers like BMW are developing automation through robotics as a way to offset emerging prices for hard work and lower product prices. Autoworkers members of the United Auto Workers Union recently agreed to a new contract with Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors that includes a 25% wage increase over 4 years. Other automakers such as Toyota and Hyundai have responded by raising wages. to produce and whose reliability has not been proven, may theoretically prove interesting investments for automakers to compensate for the increase in hard work, if they are informed to outperform humans trained in making cars.
However, the sci-fi promise of a relentless, hyper-efficient, and never-sleeping robotic workforce remains, at least for the time being, largely speculative. Even Figure’s robot will have to walk to a charging station every few hours. for a short break.
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