The BMW Group is making ready to check humanoid robots in its automobile manufacturing in Europe for the primary time, as the corporate accelerates its push to combine synthetic intelligence instantly into manufacturing facility operations.
The pilot undertaking will happen on the firm’s Leipzig plant in Germany, the place engineers will take a look at how humanoid robots can work alongside current manufacturing programs in collection car manufacturing. The robots can even be evaluated to be used in battery meeting and part manufacturing.
The undertaking is a part of BMW’s broader effort to introduce what it describes as “Bodily AI” – the mix of digital synthetic intelligence with bodily machines similar to robots working in actual industrial environments.
“Digitalisation improves the competitiveness of our manufacturing – right here in Europe and worldwide. The symbiosis of engineering experience and synthetic intelligence opens up completely new prospects in manufacturing,” mentioned Milan Nedeljković, member of the board of administration of BMW AG accountable for manufacturing.
The initiative follows an earlier pilot undertaking in the US, the place BMW examined humanoid robots at its Spartanburg plant. Classes from that deployment are actually getting used to broaden the corporate’s exploration of Bodily AI in Europe.
AI already embedded throughout BMW’s manufacturing system
Synthetic intelligence is already extensively used all through BMW’s manufacturing operations.
Purposes vary from digital twin simulations in digital factories and AI-enabled high quality management programs to intralogistics supported by autonomous transport robots. Clever programs now play a job in practically each stage of manufacturing.
A key enabler has been BMW’s effort to consolidate beforehand fragmented information programs. The corporate has changed remoted information silos with a unified manufacturing information platform, guaranteeing that data throughout the manufacturing community is standardized, constant and obtainable in actual time.
This unified information structure permits digital AI brokers to carry out more and more advanced duties autonomously whereas persevering with to study from operational information. Mixed with robots, these brokers kind the premise of BMW’s idea of Bodily AI.
“Our intention is to be a expertise chief and to combine new applied sciences into manufacturing at an early stage. Pilot tasks assist us to check and additional develop the usage of Bodily AI – that’s, AI-enabled robots able to studying – below real-world industrial situations,” mentioned Michael Nikolaides, senior vice chairman manufacturing community and provide chain administration at BMW Group.
He added that the corporate’s first US deployment demonstrated that humanoid robots can operate past managed laboratory settings.
“The profitable first deployment of humanoid robots at our BMW Group plant in Spartanburg within the USA proves {that a} humanoid robotic can operate not solely below managed laboratory situations but additionally in an current automotive manufacturing surroundings.”
Digitalisation and synthetic intelligence kind the spine of BMW’s broader BMW iFACTORY technique, which goals to create versatile, future-proof manufacturing programs.
Humanoid robots as a complement to current automation
BMW says humanoid robots are usually not supposed to interchange current automation applied sciences however to enhance them.
Robots with human-like kind components can probably tackle duties which might be monotonous, bodily demanding, or safety-critical. The corporate believes these programs may assist relieve workers from repetitive work whereas bettering working situations on the manufacturing facility flooring.
On the similar time, BMW is increasing its inside capabilities to judge and deploy these applied sciences extra systematically.
The corporate has established a brand new Middle of Competence for Bodily AI in Manufacturing, designed to consolidate experience in robotics and synthetic intelligence throughout its international manufacturing community.
“At our new Middle of Competence for Bodily AI in Manufacturing, we’re pooling our experience to make information on AI and robotics extensively usable throughout the firm,” mentioned Felix Haeckel, crew lead for the initiative.
“Lately, we’ve got constructed up a global crew of specialists that, along with in-house analysis and programming, is devoted to the gradual integration of AI into the present manufacturing system. On the similar time, our crew in Munich is driving its personal robotics analysis to arrange, help, and additional develop pilot tasks within the subject of Bodily AI at our crops.”
BMW’s structured analysis course of for robotics companions begins with theoretical assessments earlier than transferring to laboratory testing utilizing actual manufacturing eventualities. Applied sciences that carry out properly within the lab are then deployed for preliminary testing at BMW crops earlier than progressing to full pilot tasks.
First European pilot with humanoid robotic
The Leipzig deployment is being carried out in collaboration with Hexagon, a long-standing BMW expertise companion.
Hexagon’s robotics unit in Zurich unveiled its humanoid robotic AEON in June 2025. After finishing theoretical analysis and laboratory testing, the robotic was first trialled at BMW’s Leipzig plant in December 2025.
Additional testing is scheduled to start in April 2026, with a full pilot section anticipated to begin in summer time.
“We’re delighted to deploy a humanoid robotic for the primary time in a pilot undertaking at a plant in Germany,” mentioned Michael Ströbel, head of course of administration and digitalisation for order to supply at BMW Group.
“Following analysis by our Middle of Competence for Bodily AI in Manufacturing, assessments have been carried out within the laboratory and at Plant Leipzig on the finish of final yr. This yr, our focus is on step-by-step integration into our manufacturing system to discover a variety of functions.”
Ströbel mentioned the pilot would look at how humanoid robots may carry out a number of capabilities in manufacturing.
“The emphasis is on researching multifunctional use of the robotic in varied manufacturing areas similar to battery manufacturing for power modules and part manufacturing for exterior components. With Hexagon, we’ve got discovered a confirmed long-standing companion with a extremely revolutionary strategy to humanoid robotics for this undertaking.”
The AEON robotic’s human-like design permits completely different instruments and grippers to be connected to its arms, enabling it to carry out a variety of duties whereas transferring on wheels across the manufacturing surroundings.
“We’re very happy to be working with the BMW Group to advance the usage of humanoid robots in real-world environments,” mentioned Arnaud Robert, president of Hexagon Robotics.
Classes from the primary humanoid robotic deployment
BMW’s first humanoid robotic deployment happened in 2025 at its Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, in collaboration with Figure AI.
Through the 10-month pilot, the robotic Determine 02 assisted within the manufacturing of greater than 30,000 BMW X3 automobiles. Working ten-hour shifts from Monday to Friday, it carried out the exact removing and positioning of sheet-metal elements for welding – a job requiring each velocity and millimetre-level accuracy.
Over the course of the pilot, the robotic moved greater than 90,000 components and accomplished round 1.2 million steps in roughly 1,250 working hours.
The undertaking demonstrated that humanoid robots can safely carry out repetitive precision duties in an automotive manufacturing surroundings.
BMW engineers additionally gained perception into how shortly robotic movement sequences educated in laboratory settings could possibly be transferred into steady shift operations. Integration with the corporate’s current BMW Sensible Robotics ecosystem was achieved utilizing standardized interfaces.
The physique store was chosen for the trial due to its excessive degree of automation and the expertise of workers in integrating new applied sciences.
Materials provide within the space is already largely dealt with by automated good transport robots, and BMW says early communication with workers helped guarantee acceptance of the brand new expertise. In response to the corporate, the humanoid robots shortly grew to become a standard a part of day-to-day operations in the course of the take a look at section.
BMW and Determine are actually evaluating extra use instances for the next-generation Determine 03 robotic.
