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Automakers deployment of robotic technologies

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2026-09-22 01:24 UTC → 2026-09-22 06:49 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Automotive manufacturers are expanding the use of robotics to improve operational efficiency and space management. Major companies including BMW, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Tesla are testing humanoid robots in manufacturing plants to handle logistics tasks. At a BMW facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the deployment of Figure AI’s Figure 02 robot has assisted in the production of over 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles. However, recent testing at the Spartanburg plant indicates that these humanoid robots are currently slower than human workers. Ulrich Wieland, BMW’s logistics manager, noted that while the technology is advancing rapidly, humans still maintain a speed advantage. This has led some experts, such as Ben Armstrong from the MIT Industrial Performance Center, to question the efficiency of the approach, suggesting that expensive humanoid robots may be an “over-engineered solution” for tasks that could be handled by simpler, more cost-effective automation. Labor advocates like the United Auto Workers (UAW) have labeled the technology a “severe threat” to human workers, sparking debates regarding the loss of income tax revenue and the feasibility of taxing robots. Hyundai is further integrating these technologies through its subsidiary, Hyundai Mobis, which is developing actuators for robot joints. Hyundai Wia has announced plans to deploy 4-ton unmanned forklifts at Kia AutoLand Hwaseong starting in May 2027. In a significant ~~expansion of these efforts,~~ expansion, Boston Dynamics has ~~launched~~ officially opened the Robotics Metaplant Application Center (RMAC) at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia, USA. The RMAC serves as a specialized testbed ~~for~~ where the Atlas humanoid robot to can learn manufacturing tasks like logistics preparation and part ~~arrangement. Hyundai Motor Group intends~~ sequencing. Boston Dynamics aims to ~~deploy 25,000 Atlas robots across its global facilities in~~ expand the ~~coming years~~ center's size tenfold next year, with goals to move Atlas from logistics to component assembly by 2030 and ~~plans~~ eventually to ~~establish a U.S. production facility with an annual capacity of 30,000 robots.~~ high-intensity tasks involving heavy lifting.

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