BMW Puts a Humanoid Robot That Can “See” With Its Hands to Work at Its US Plant

A bunch of car companies have been experimenting with humanoid robots on the assembly line, but few seem to be pushing the concept as far as BMW. And the Germans have just taken another step to keep their edge.

You might remember that back in 2025, BMW already deployed a humanoid robot called Figure 02 at the very same Spartanburg plant. It was made by a Californian outfit named Figure AI, and the two-legged machine spent about 11 months in the body shop, helping put together no fewer than 30,000 BMW X3 SUVs.

The job itself wasn’t exactly rocket science — the robot had to slot sheet-metal parts into place for welding, parts that would later become part of the chassis. But it still demanded decent speed and real precision. Whatever happened during those months clearly sold BMW on the idea of humanoid robots, or Physical AI as some like to call them. That’s why nobody was surprised to hear the same plant would get the next version.

Well, that successor, the Figure 03, has now officially joined the production line. This time around, it’s been given something a bit trickier: sorting tasks in logistics.

So what does that actually mean? Components arrive in big containers, completely unsorted. The Figure 03 picks them out and places them neatly into a sequencing trolley. That trolley is later moved to a designated drop-off point so the parts can be taken to wherever they’re needed on the line. BMW points out this kind of chore pops up all the time in automotive logistics, and if the robot handles it well, teaching it to do other things should be straightforward — stuff like picking up small metal pieces, deformable poly bags, or working with die-casting, injection molding, and stamping.

Compared to its predecessor, the Figure 03 comes with quite a few upgrades. There are soft bits to protect any humans working nearby, wireless charging through coils in the feet and a stand that makes it a lot easier to use on the factory floor, plus voice functions for actual speech-to-speech chats. But the real stars for the job at hand are the hands themselves. They now pack tactile sensors and cameras right in the palms, giving the robot extra precision and a lighter touch.

Even though it’s currently working a production gig, Figure AI actually built the 03 first and foremost to be the world’s first household humanoid robot. The company first showed it off back in October 2025.

The new robot stands 5-foot-8 (173 cm) and weighs 134 pounds (61 kg), and it can carry payloads up to 44 pounds (20 kg). It runs on an electric system, tops out at about 2.4 miles per hour (4 kph), and can go for up to five hours before needing a charge. Compared to the 02, the 03 is a fraction taller but a little lighter, which should eventually make it a better fit for home use. Its hands have 16 degrees of freedom, so it can pull off human-like, two-handed tasks on its own.

The thing is loaded with cameras, microphones, and sensors — it sees, hears, and figures out where it is. Inside, the brain is a completely reworked software stack with a new vision system designed for high-frequency visuomotor control. Those cameras I mentioned? They now capture double the frame rate, a quarter of the latency, and a 60 percent wider field of view compared to the old setup. That should help the robot find its way through something as unpredictable as a real human home.

Even the new cameras built into the palms are there for a reason — they let the robot “see” with its hands inside tight spaces that its main eyes can’t reach, like the back of high cabinets. Tactile sensors on the fingertips can pick up as little as three grams of pressure — about the weight of a paperclip — while the fingers themselves are softer, making it easier to grip odd-shaped things without dropping them.

For talking and listening, the robot now has a speaker that’s twice the size and four times more powerful than before. And because its main mission will be living alongside families, the body is padded with multi-density foam in key spots — those pads are removable and washable, which is a nice practical touch. Figure AI also wrapped the robot in something like clothing: soft, cut-resistant, durable fabric that can be customized to give the thing a little personality.

We’ll have to wait and see how the Figure 03 gets on inside the Spartanburg facility, but honestly? I’m more curious about how it’ll do as a family member. There’s no timeline yet for when that’ll happen, but we do know regular people should expect to pay somewhere around $20,000 for one. Figure AI plans to make about 12,000 robots a year at first, and if things go to plan, that number could ramp up to roughly 100,000 units over the next four years.

We’ll be keeping tabs on the Figure 03 and will update you once we hear more about how it’s handling life on the BMW factory floor.