The partnership will begin with small quantities of robots, with the number increasing if performance targets are met. The deployment process, which includes training the robots to perform specific tasks, could take 12-24 months. The South Carolina facility, BMW's only US-based plant, assembles around 1,500 X-series and XM-series vehicles daily and employs around 11,000 people.
Key takeaways:
- Robotics startup Figure has signed a commercial agreement with BMW to introduce its general purpose humanoid robots to BMW’s manufacturing facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
- The robots are intended to automate difficult, unsafe, or tedious manufacturing tasks and will be deployed in stages if found to be viable.
- Figure's robots aim to increase productivity, reduce costs, and create a safer and more consistent environment in the manufacturing industry.
- The deployment of the robots could take anywhere from 12–24 months as they need to be trained to perform specific tasks.