The robots worked at the BMW plant for less than a year, after which their arms fell off
22 November 2025 16:07
Figure AI has completed 11 months of testing humanoid robots Figure 02, which were used on BMW production lines for car assembly. According to the results of the test period, the devices were decommissioned due to significant physical wear and tear, Interesting Engineering reports, "Komersant Ukrainian".
During the pilot project, the robots participated in the assembly of more than 30 thousand BMW X3 cars and loaded more than 90 thousand sheet metal elements. The videos published by the company demonstrate noticeable mechanical damage to the equipment: pronounced scratches, deformations, and, in some cases, partial loss of manipulator functionality. The most vulnerable part of the design was the forearms, which the developer attributes to the design features of the current generation of devices.
The robots performed operations to remove metal billets from containers and install them on welding devices. The average production cycle was 84 seconds, including 37 seconds for loading parts. According to Figure AI, the accuracy of operations exceeded 99%.
The equipment was operated in conditions close to industrial standards: 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. Despite the identified problems with durability, the company characterized the project as successful and announced the transition to the next generation of Figure 03 robots, the design of which will be strengthened based on the experience gained.
