Automakers are testing humanoid robots

If Paul Revere were still alive, you could probably find him riding through the streets loudly proclaiming “The humanoid robots are coming!”

BMW and Figure, an AI robotics company, earlier this month completed a successful test that saw Figure’s AI-powered humanoid robot working in one of the automaker’s plants in South Carolina.

The test lasted several weeks, and involved Figure’s 02 humanoid robot handling automotive assembly tasks such as inserting sheet metal parts into specific fixtures, a step requiring some dexterity, according to BMW.

• Some quick specs on the Figure 02, which shares a few commonalities with our favorite #shortkings: The bot stands 5’6”, weighs ~130 lbs, and can stay active for ~5 hours before needing some sleep a charge.
• Figure says its robots are meant to eliminate the need for humans to perform unsafe and undesirable jobs, which number 10+ million in the US alone, per the company – while BMW sees an opportunity to increase productivity (and profitability).

Other automakers are also joining the I, Robot party. During Tesla’s Q2 earnings call, CEO Elon Musk talked about deploying thousands of the company’s “Optimus” humanoid robots within its production facilities by the end of next year. And Mercedes-Benz is actively working with robotics company Apptronik to deploy humanoid robots in the automaker’s manufacturing facilities.

Big picture: Robots have long been used in manufacturing. But humanoid robots are a whole ‘nother ball game with big labor market implications; they’re also being tested in warehouses, and are eventually expected to help out in hospitals and nursing homes.

But… The hype train’s locomotive may be going a lot faster than its cargo. Per a recent quote from Marc Raibert, chairman of Boston Dynamics (the same company making acrobatic robots and Black Mirror-reminiscent robot dogs): “[H]umanoids themselves are still pretty immature, by and large. You can look at the demos that some are doing with car companies. I think that's to some degree a show-off thing more than a productivity thing."

👀 Looking ahead: The global humanoid robot market is projected to reach $38 billion by 2035, according to Goldman Sachs.

+Dive deeper: The annual World Robot Conference took place in China this past weekend, featuring numerous companies showcasing humanoid robots. See what went down