BMW Expands Humanoid Robot Deployment With Figure 03 at Spartanburg Plant

BMW Group is expanding its use of humanoid robots in manufacturing by deploying Figure AI's next-generation Figure 03 robot at its Spartanburg, South Carolina, production facility. The deployment marks the next phase of the automaker's Physical AI strategy, moving beyond an earlier pilot in the body shop to logistics operations on the assembly floor.

The company said Figure 03 will perform sequencing tasks in logistics, where components arriving in bulk containers are sorted into sequencing trolleys before being delivered to assembly stations in the required production order. The project follows a successful trial of the Figure 02 humanoid robot at the same facility.

From Production Pilot to Logistics Operations

BMW tested Figure 02 at Plant Spartanburg in 2025, where the robot supported production of more than 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles over a 10-month period. Operating in the body shop, it inserted sheet-metal parts for welding, demonstrating that humanoid robots could safely perform repetitive manufacturing tasks under production conditions.

Ulrich Wieland, Vice President of Production Control and Logistics, BMW Manufacturing, said Plant Spartanburg has become the company's starting point for integrating humanoid robotics into day-to-day manufacturing operations. He said the company is now extending the technology into logistics after completing the initial production pilot.