BMW (ETR: BMW) has entered into a commercial agreement with California-based robotics company Figure. The robots, standing at 5’6″ and weighing 130 pounds, are equipped with five-fingered hands, enabling them to undertake intricate tasks such as assembling machines. The collaboration is set to commence at BMW’s manufacturing plants, starting in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Although the specific roles of the robots in the manufacturing process remain somewhat unclear, the deal will “enable the automation of difficult, unsafe, or tedious tasks throughout the manufacturing process.”
“Single-purpose robotics have saturated the commercial market for decades, but the potential of general purpose robotics is completely untapped. Figure’s robots will enable companies to increase productivity, reduce costs, and create a safer and more consistent environment,” Brett Adcock, Founder and CEO of Figure, said in a statement.
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In the initial phase, Figure will identify use cases for the robots in automotive production, followed by a staged deployment at BMW’s Spartanburg facility. The collaboration also entails exploration of advanced technology topics like artificial intelligence, robot control, manufacturing virtualization, and robot integration.
“The use of general purpose robot solutions has the potential to make productivity more efficient, to support the growing demands of our consumers, and to enable our team to focus on the transformation ahead of us,” said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, President and CEO of BMW Manufacturing.
The move towards increased automation is evident across the automotive landscape, with automakers seeking to leverage robots for efficiency gains and cost savings against the backdrop of rising labor costs.
Related: UAW Launches Ambitious Campaign to Unionize 13 Major Automakers Across the US
Last year, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers, launched a strike against the Detroit Big Three, General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis. The strike saw some historic labor agreements that included wage increases of at least 25%, the return of cost-of-living adjustments, and other economic improvements.
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