BMW deploys Figure AI humanoids, video shows robots working just like humans
BMW just received a new batch of Figure 03 humanoid robots for its Spartanburg plant in the US. A video shared by Figure AI and BMW shows the robots sorting items and working exactly like humans.
Humanoid robots working in a factory is something that may sound like a scene from a new sci-fi film. But in 2026, this is becoming reality. German carmaker BMW recently showcased a set of humanoid robots it received from Figure AI, and these robots are already prepared to work like humans.
In a video shared by BMW and Figure AI, we can see four Figure 03 humanoid robots standing on the factory floor at the BMW plant in Spartanburg in the US. One of the robots moves forward and grabs a trolley and pulls it back, almost like a human. The robot then picks out different components from unsorted containers, classifies them, and sorts them into the trolley.
Once the work is complete, the Figure 03 robot goes back into its charging station. All of this is done without any human control as per Figure AI. Instead the robot is powered by Helix 02, its proprietary system, which coordinates hands, arms, torso and feet.
This, the company says, allows the Figure 03 robots to manipulate parts while stepping and repositioning its body, including pulling a heavy cart on caster wheels.
BMW says robots helped make 30,000 cars in 2025
This is not the first time that BMW has used robots from Figure AI. The carmaker says that the Figure 02 robots helped assemble around 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles over a period of ten months in 2025. The Figure 02 robots did tasks of speed and accuracy, including inserting sheet-metal parts for welding in the body shop.
Figure says that the work for Figure 03 robots goes beyond classic pick-and-place sheet metal loading. Figure 03 is able to switch between precise picking and placement of thin-walled individual parts. The entire process also requires whole-body coordination, such as pulling a large metal cart down the line.
The robotics startup added that sequencing cannot be handled reliably through a fixed series of hard-coded motions because carts, bins and parts do not arrive in exactly the same position each time, and items may be shifted, rotated, partially occluded or presented differently within a container. This makes the process more complex than the tasks handled by Figure 02, as the robot must be able to identify different items that may be placed in different positions everytime.
In case you are wondering, Figure AI is the same startup that went viral a few weeks ago after pitting Figure 03, the same robot that is now used by BMW, against an intern in an eight-hour “Man vs Machine” contest to sort packages. The robotics startup also claims to have more robots than human employees now.
Several other companies are developing humanoid robots. Elon Musk’s Tesla has been working on the Optimus robot for some time now, with plans of commercial deployment in the near future, while Chinese firms such as Unitree and Agibot have also made rapid progress.
Humanoid robots working in a factory is something that may sound like a scene from a new sci-fi film. But in 2026, this is becoming reality. German carmaker BMW recently showcased a set of humanoid robots it received from Figure AI, and these robots are already prepared to work like humans.
In a video shared by BMW and Figure AI, we can see four Figure 03 humanoid robots standing on the factory floor at the BMW plant in Spartanburg in the US. One of the robots moves forward and grabs a trolley and pulls it back, almost like a human. The robot then picks out different components from unsorted containers, classifies them, and sorts them into the trolley.
Once the work is complete, the Figure 03 robot goes back into its charging station. All of this is done without any human control as per Figure AI. Instead the robot is powered by Helix 02, its proprietary system, which coordinates hands, arms, torso and feet.
This, the company says, allows the Figure 03 robots to manipulate parts while stepping and repositioning its body, including pulling a heavy cart on caster wheels.
BMW says robots helped make 30,000 cars in 2025
This is not the first time that BMW has used robots from Figure AI. The carmaker says that the Figure 02 robots helped assemble around 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles over a period of ten months in 2025. The Figure 02 robots did tasks of speed and accuracy, including inserting sheet-metal parts for welding in the body shop.
Figure says that the work for Figure 03 robots goes beyond classic pick-and-place sheet metal loading. Figure 03 is able to switch between precise picking and placement of thin-walled individual parts. The entire process also requires whole-body coordination, such as pulling a large metal cart down the line.
The robotics startup added that sequencing cannot be handled reliably through a fixed series of hard-coded motions because carts, bins and parts do not arrive in exactly the same position each time, and items may be shifted, rotated, partially occluded or presented differently within a container. This makes the process more complex than the tasks handled by Figure 02, as the robot must be able to identify different items that may be placed in different positions everytime.
In case you are wondering, Figure AI is the same startup that went viral a few weeks ago after pitting Figure 03, the same robot that is now used by BMW, against an intern in an eight-hour “Man vs Machine” contest to sort packages. The robotics startup also claims to have more robots than human employees now.
Several other companies are developing humanoid robots. Elon Musk’s Tesla has been working on the Optimus robot for some time now, with plans of commercial deployment in the near future, while Chinese firms such as Unitree and Agibot have also made rapid progress.
