Overview
- BMW says initial trials ran in December in Leipzig, handling rear spoilers and making cell contacts in battery production.
- A further test is scheduled for April to prepare a pilot starting this summer with two Hexagon humanoid units at the outset.
- The robots are about 1.65 meters tall and 60 kilograms with a roughly three-hour, self-swappable battery and currently work in separated areas for safety, and Hexagon indicates a six-figure price per unit.
- BMW frames the machines as taking on unpleasant or hazardous tasks, and the Leipzig works council says it does not expect job losses.
- BMW cites a prior 10-month deployment in Spartanburg, USA, where robots positioned sheet-metal parts for about 30,000 cars as evidence of real-world value.