Figure has recently announced a “commercial agreement” with BMW, marking the introduction of its first humanoid robot, Figure 01, at a BMW manufacturing facility in South Carolina. This development is set to revolutionize the operations at the Spartanburg plant, which stands as BMW’s sole manufacturing site in the United States. The 8 million-square-foot campus has consistently demonstrated the highest yield among all of the German manufacturer’s factories worldwide.
Key Takeaway
BMW is set to deploy Figure’s humanoid robot, Figure 01, at its South Carolina plant, marking a significant advancement in the integration of robotics within manufacturing processes. The robot is expected to undertake a series of standard manufacturing tasks, with its skillset set to expand over time, mirroring the functionality of an app store.
Initial Deployment and Tasks
While the exact number of Figure 01 models to be deployed by BMW remains undisclosed, it has been confirmed that the robot will initially undertake five specific tasks, which will be gradually implemented one by one. These tasks are expected to encompass standard manufacturing activities such as box moving, pick and place, and pallet unloading and loading. The introduction of Figure 01 is aimed at addressing the challenges associated with retaining human workers for repetitive tasks within factory settings.
Applications and Development
Figure CEO Brett Adcock has drawn parallels between the approach to deploying Figure 01 and an app store, likening the robot’s skillset expansion to the functionality offered by an SDK. The initial applications of the humanoid robot are anticipated to be primarily determined by Figure’s early partners, with a focus on tasks involving sheet metal manipulation. The company has also hinted at signing up additional clients, with announcements expected to be made individually over the coming year.
Design and Training
Unlike other humanoid robot designers, Figure is concentrating on creating a dexterous, human-like hand for manipulation, emphasizing the importance of high dexterity for the initial set of tasks assigned to Figure 01. The training process for the robot will encompass a mix of approaches, including reinforcement learning, simulation, and teleoperation, allowing the robot to refine its approach during real-world testing. Figure is adopting a robotics as a service (RaaS) model, indicating that the systems will be leased and refined based on their ability to meet BMW’s internal expectations of output.
