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Summary. BMW's newest employee is 1 m 67 tall, weighs 59 kg, walks on two legs, uses its five fingers on both hands to assemble machines - and takes a break every five hours to walk to a charging station and plug in. BMW is thus taking a revolutionary step in automobile production by using humanoid robots, produced by the California company Figure, in their factories. These robots are unique in their human form and functionality.

This development marks an important moment in both the auto industry and the broader job market. Robots already have a fundamental role in production lines, but the introduction of autonomous, human-like robots promises to dramatically change workplace efficiency and safety.

In the news. The partnership between Figure and BMW is a first, deploying humanoid robots at BMW's plant in Spartanburg, in the U.S. state of South Carolina.

  • The robots, described as autonomous and humanoid, will be implemented in several stages, beginning with identifying suitable applications in automobile production.
  • In addition to production tasks, the collaboration will also focus on advanced technological developments such as artificial intelligence and robot integration.

Zoom in. Brett Adcock, Figure's CEO, emphasizes that these robots can do virtually everything a human can, opening up new opportunities for tasks that are difficult to automate.

  • The robots will not only contribute to productivity but also support human workers in their work, said Robert Engelhorn, CEO of BMW Manufacturing.

Zoom out. The deployment of robots has been driven in part by rising labor costs; recent labor agreements in the auto industry have resulted in higher wages and benefits for workers.

  • The development of humanoid robots is technically challenging, so only a limited number of companies are successful in this niche.

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