Figure AI has achieved the first sustained commercial deployment of a humanoid robot in a manufacturing environment. Its Figure 02 robot is now working full 8-hour shifts at BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina plant.
The robot performs parts inspection and light assembly tasks alongside human workers. BMW reports that the robots have achieved 97% accuracy in quality inspection, compared to 94% for human inspectors.
Figure AI, backed by $2.6 billion in funding from Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, and Jeff Bezos, has been working toward this milestone for three years. The commercial deployment validates the company's approach of building general-purpose humanoid robots rather than task-specific machines.
BMW has ordered 50 additional Figure 02 units, with delivery expected by Q3 2026. The company plans to deploy them across four manufacturing facilities by year-end.
The humanoid robot market is heating up. Tesla's Optimus, Agility Robotics' Digit, and Boston Dynamics' Atlas are all in various stages of commercial deployment. Analysts estimate the market will reach $38 billion by 2030.