BMW’s newest autoworker is 5’6,” 130 pounds, walks on two legs, uses five-fingered hands to assemble machines — and takes a break every five hours to stroll to a charging station and plug itself in. Under a first-of-its-kind deal, humanoid robots from a California company called Figure will begin working in BMW manufacturing plants, starting in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Why it matters: Robots have long been essential tools on auto assembly lines, but this is the first time that autonomous human-shaped robots will join the fray — with big potential labor market implications. Humanoid robots are already being tested in warehouses, and are eventually expected to help out in hospitals and nursing homes. “I think the next 24 months you’ll start seeing humanoid robots in the real world,” Brett Adcock, Figure’s CEO and driving force, tells Axios. Driving the news: While it’s a bit nebulous what the robots will be doing for the automaker, the agreement between Figure and BMW calls for the “deployment of humanoid robots in an automotive manufacturing environment” using a “milestone-based approach.” In the first phase, Figure will “identify initial use cases to apply the Figure robots in automotive production.” Next, the robots will “begin staged deployment at BMW’s manufacturing facility” in Spartanburg. BMW and Figure will also “explore advanced technology topics such as artificial intelligence, robot control, manufacturing virtualization and robot integration.” What they’re saying: Adcock, a serial entrepreneur whose previous startups include Archer Aviation and Vettery (now Hired.com), tells Axios that his robots “can do basically everything a human can.”

Full story : Humanoid robots will join BMW’s production line.