BMW said it aims to experiment with general-purpose humanoid robots in its South Carolina manufacturing plant, a step forward for autonomous technology.

BMW announced on Tuesday that it had signed a commercial agreement with Figure, a California-based robot manufacturer, to help automate the more difficult tasks that employees perform so that staff can focus on other parts of the carmaking process. The two companies will initially work together to identify areas where the robots can be used before deploying them in BMW’s Spartanburg factory. This will be the first commercial deal signed by Figure since it was founded in 2022.