Humanoid robots are set to be used in an automotive production plant in the US for the first time, thanks to the development of more sophisticated and intelligent models in recent years.
Figure, an American company, has announced that it has reached an agreement with the BMW Group to introduce its humanoid robots into a vehicle production plant for the first time.
Figure, a startup, has drawn attention in recent months with its first humanoid robot model. This robot has a human-like body, is 1.70 meters tall, weighs 60 kilograms, can move at 4 km/h, and carry loads of up to 20 kg. Notably, it is equipped with articulated fingers, allowing it to better manipulate certain objects compared to other humanoid robots.
These robots will be required to perform tasks that are often considered difficult, tedious, or dangerous for humans throughout the car manufacturing process. The goal is for humans to focus on skills and processes that cannot be automated, as well as on production line safety. Workers will also be responsible for monitoring the robots’ behavior.
The integration of these robots will involve automatic learning. They will need to master all their actions and be programmed for each of their tasks. Figure recently demonstrated one of its robots learning to operate a coffee machine.
To do this, the robot observed all the actions involved on video, before reproducing them and correcting them to ensure they were as precise as possible. This “training” lasted 10 hours.
Initially, Figure will identify the most practical cases for use in automotive production. Robots will then begin to be deployed at BMW’s manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Ultimately, these robots should enable automakers to increase productivity while reducing costs.
In the US, other companies such as Tesla and Boston Dynamics are also working on humanoid robot projects. – AFP Relaxnews
