[RahulNagaraj]

BMW has signed a commercial agreement with Figure - a robotics startup. As part of the agreement, BMW will introduce 'general purpose' humanoid robots at its manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA.

The humanoid robots will automate "difficult, unsafe and tedious" manufacturing tasks and if found viable, will go on to be deployed in more number in stages. Brett Adcock, CEO of Figure, stated that the partnership will begin in "small quantities" and will increase if performance targets are met.



Adcock stated, "Single-purpose robotics have saturated the commercial market for decades, but the potential of general-purpose robotics is completely untapped." He added, "Figure’s robots will enable companies to increase productivity, reduce costs, and create a safer and more consistent environment."

Reports also state that the robots have a wide window for deployment, allowing Figure to train the robots to perform various tasks. The training is said to take anywhere between 12-24 months before they are integrated into BMW's manufacturing process if a viable use for them is identified.

The BMW manufacturing plant in South Carolina assembles around 1,500 X-Series and XM series models each day. The facility employs 11,000 people and is said to be the largest automotive exporter in the US by value.

Source: Reuters

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