US-based robotics company Figure AI’s humanoid robots, which had been working on BMW’s production line, have officially been retired. This fleet, dubbed Figure 02 (F.02), successfully completed its challenging 11-month mission at BMW’s Spartanburg plant. This pilot was conducted to assess whether humanoid robots could be used permanently on a live, active assembly line.
Robots Complete Their Missions
Figure AI announced that its F.02 robots have actively participated in the production of more than 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles and handled more than 90,000 sheet metal parts. Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock shared images showing the robots working under harsh industrial conditions; scratches, dirt, and scuff marks are clearly visible.
These weathered images dispel any suspicion that Figure AI had only conducted limited laboratory testing. The company states that these images confirm that the robots can withstand months of continuous production.
After installation, the robots were quickly moved to the assembly line. They were fully operational within six months and were operating in a full shift by the tenth month. Their primary task was to retrieve sheet metal parts from their boxes and place them in the welding chamber with a 5-millimeter tolerance.
The welding process was then performed by conventional robotic arms. The F.02s completed this task with a cycle time of 84 seconds, 37 seconds of which were allocated to the loading phase. The company reports that the robots’ accuracy rate for the task exceeded 99 percent.
During the trial period, the robots worked 10-hour shifts on weekdays, logging more than 1,250 hours of work. During this time, they walked approximately 1.2 million steps or 200 miles.
