Automaton, dispatch!
Figure 01
Remember before generative AI started threatening white-collar jobs, there was a lot of fear that humanoid robots would replace human manual labor? They are here to remind us that we still need to worry about our imaginary dexterous factory bots.
as gizmodo Automaker BMW announced last week that it had signed an unprecedented deal with California-based robotics company Figure to bring general-purpose humanoid robots to its Spartanburg, South Carolina, factory, according to reports.
around GizSpecifically, the company plans to introduce the eponymous Figure01 model, a bipedal robot that stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds.
BMW claimed in a press release that the bots will be used to automate “difficult, dangerous or tedious tasks throughout the manufacturing process.” This allows employees to “focus on skills and processes that cannot be automated,” the release claims.However, as Giz This is an incredibly vague explanation of what these robots will do — other than taking common tasks away from human workers, of course, he points out.
Today we are announcing the Figure 01 robot.
Watch a demonstration of dynamic bipedal walking. This is a milestone the team has achieved within his 12 months since the company's inception.
Here are the details: pic.twitter.com/tSNVLioXpC
— Figure (@Figure_robot) October 17, 2023
Consulting fee
But that being said, even BMW doesn't seem to know what a tottering robot using a Keurig will do. According to a press release, the “first phase” of the agreement between the two companies will involve Figure identifying “initial use cases for the application of Figure robots in automotive production.”
Manufacturers in a variety of industries, including automotive, have been leveraging robotics for decades. However, these innovations are overwhelmingly limited to single-purpose robotics, or machines used to automate very specific tasks. Truly functional general-purpose bots, bots that can competently perform a variety of tasks without death, injury, or fear in the workplace. — Things like lunch breaks and health insurance are not yet a reality in major manufacturing environments.
integrated automated workforce
Figure founder and CEO Brett Adcock declared in a statement that “the potential of general-purpose robots is completely untapped,” and that his machines “will help companies increase productivity.” “This will enable us to improve performance, reduce costs, and create a more secure and consistent environment.”
Their benefits are not yet clear. But if BMW's integration efforts ultimately bear fruit, we can probably expect other major manufacturers to follow suit, especially given recent developments. wall street journal reveal reportare doing Auto executives in Detroit have recently become extremely bullish on automation, following the United Auto Workers (UAW) union victory in 2023.
BMW is not mentioned in that report because its U.S. workers are not protected by the UAW. But in November, following the UAW's big victory, thousands of auto workers at nonunion companies including Tesla, Toyota, and — yes — BMW announced that the UAW Don't forget to sign your card.
More about workplace automation: Oops!Replacing workers with AI is actually more expensive, he says MIT finds
