Humanoid robots clock on at BMW's european factory in first-of-its-kind trial

Robots that walk, think and learn are now clocking on at a BMW plant for the very first time.

The German carmaker has launched a groundbreaking pilot scheme using humanoid robots at its factory in Leipzig - marking its first foray into so-called "Physical AI" in Europe.

The futuristic machines, designed to work alongside humans on real production lines, will be deployed in battery assembly and component manufacturing as part of the trial.

Bosses say the move could transform the way cars are built - blending artificial intelligence with real-world robotics in live factory conditions.

Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG's Board Member for Production, said digitalisation was key to keeping the firm competitive.

"Digitalisation improves the competitiveness of our production - here in Europe and worldwide. The symbiosis of engineering expertise and artificial intelligence opens up entirely new possibilities in production," he explained.

The Leipzig trial follows a successful test run at BMW's plant in the US city of Spartanburg last year, where a humanoid robot worked 10-hour shifts helping to build more than 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles.

In that project - carried out with US tech firm Figure AI - the robot, dubbed Figure 02, handled the precise removal and positioning of sheet metal parts for welding. Over 10 months it moved more than 90,000 components and walked the equivalent of 1.2 million steps in around 1,250 operating hours.

BMW said the trial proved humanoid robots can safely and reliably carry out repetitive, physically demanding tasks with millimetre precision. Now the focus shifts to Germany.

The European pilot is being carried out with long-standing partner Hexagon, whose Zurich-based division Hexagon Robotics unveiled its first humanoid robot, AEON, in June 2025.

AEON's human-like body allows different hands, grippers and scanning tools to be attached, while its wheeled base enables it to move dynamically around the factory floor.

After laboratory tests and an initial deployment at Leipzig in December 2025, a further test phase is scheduled from April 2026 ahead of a full pilot starting in summer.