Figure AI’s third-generation humanoid robot has arrived at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina, taking on a more demanding task than its predecessor handled at the same factory last year.
Figure 03 was deployed in Hall 52, one of the plant’s assembly and logistics areas, on June 30. Its assignment — known as sequencing — involves pulling containers of unsorted parts and organizing them into trolleys in the precise order matched to each vehicle moving down the assembly line, a process manufacturers call “just in sequence” delivery.
That represents a significant step up in complexity from what Figure 02 accomplished there in 2025. The earlier robot spent roughly 11 months picking up sheet-metal components and positioning them for welding in the body shop. Over approximately 1,250 operating hours it supported production of more than 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles — a successful but structurally simpler role.
New AI foundation
Figure 03 runs on Helix 02, Figure AI’s vision-language model, which enables what the company describes as dynamic whole-body control: simultaneous coordination of hands, arms, torso, and feet. That capability lets the robot adapt in real time to parts arriving in variable positions and orientations — something a fixed robot arm pre-programmed for a single configuration cannot do.
Updated hardware
The robot also arrives with upgraded physical components. Tactile sensors and palm cameras in the hands provide precise grip feedback. Wireless charging replaces plug-in power to increase uptime. An onboard audio system supports speech-to-speech communication with floor workers. Softer exterior panels allow the robot to work in closer proximity to humans on the line.
BMW’s Physical AI strategy
BMW describes the Figure 03 project as part of its broader “Physical AI” initiative, which aims to connect software intelligence with real-world manufacturing equipment. The automaker positions humanoid robots as a complement to fixed automation, targeting tasks that are too ergonomically demanding, too monotonous, or too variable in part positioning for traditional machinery.
According to BMW, logistics sequencing is exactly the kind of bottleneck the company believes humanoid robots are now capable of addressing reliably at scale.