BMW is bringing real, physical robots to its factory floors. The newest arrival is a humanoid robot named Figure 03. Soon, it will start working at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in the US to sort parts.

In 2025, BMW tested an older robot, the Figure 02. For ten months, it helped build over 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles. It did heavy, fast work putting metal parts into welding machines. The test proved these robots can safely handle tough factory jobs day after day.

“Plant Spartanburg is the birthplace of humanoid robotics in BMW Manufacturing’s operational day-to-day activities,” Ulrich Wieland, Vice President of Production Control and Logistics at BMW Manufacturing, explained. “Having already successfully completed a pilot with Figure 02 in our body shop, we are now looking forward to deploying Figure 03 for a sequencing use case in logistics.”

Humanoid Robot Factory Workers

humanoid robot
BMW deploys Figure 03 humanoid robots in its Spartanburg, SC factory; Photo: BMW

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Car parts usually arrive at the plant mixed together in large bins. Figure 03 will pick up these parts and sort them onto a cart. Once the cart is packed, automated machines take it straight to the human assembly workers exactly when they need the parts.

“The robot introduces several new features for expanded applications,” Brett Adcock, Founder & CEO of Figure AI, said. “These include soft components designed for enhanced safety, wireless charging designed for higher availability and audio functions for speech-to-speech communication, along with improved hands with tactile sensors and palm cameras designed to increase precision and dexterity.”

Making the Job Site Safer

BMW wants robots to do the dull, dangerous, or physically hard tasks. The idea is to keep human workers safe and make their daily jobs better.

“Our 11-month deployment of Figure 02 proved that humanoids are no longer lab experiments – they can be a valuable asset in establishing a flexible, reliable manufacturing workforce,” Adcock added. “We are excited to continue our work in Spartanburg as Figure tackles the complexity of the assembly and logistics hall.”