Figure AI Deploys Humanoid Robots in BMW Factory
Figure AI has deployed its humanoid robots in a BMW factory. On December 18, 2025, the company announced that its Figure 02 models are now assisting in automotive production lines, marking a key step toward widespread industrial use of humanoids.
Figure AI, founded in 2022 by former Tesla and OpenAI engineers, aims to build robots that work alongside humans in everyday tasks. The startup has raised over $675 million in funding, valuing it at $2.6 billion. Their focus is on general-purpose humanoids powered by advanced AI, trained to handle complex manipulations like those needed in manufacturing.
The Figure 02 robot stands at 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 132 pounds. It features dexterous hands with 16 degrees of freedom, allowing it to grasp tools and parts with human-like precision. Equipped with vision-language models, the robot processes natural language instructions and visual data to perform tasks autonomously. In BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina plant—one of the world's largest for SUVs—these robots are sorting components and assembling parts, reducing repetitive strain on workers.
This deployment follows successful pilots and highlights the rapid progress in robotics. BMW, a leader in electric vehicles, sees humanoids as a way to boost efficiency amid labor shortages. Figure AI plans to scale production, with the Figure 02 entering commercial sales next year at around $30,000 per unit.
Humanoid robots like these could transform factories, making automation more flexible and intuitive. As AI advances, expect more companies to follow suit, blending human ingenuity with machine precision.