Up until sometime in March, a Figure robot at BMW’s South Carolina factory was limited to off-hours operation, practicing tasks like picking up and placing parts in the body shop, as confirmed by a BMW spokesperson. This cautious approach contrasts with Figure CEO Brett Adcock’s bold February claim of deploying a “fleet” of robots, suggesting a more ambitious rollout. The single robot’s restricted schedule reflects BMW’s methodical integration of automation, likely prioritizing safety and precision in a complex manufacturing environment. Figure’s humanoid robots aim to streamline repetitive tasks, but the gap between Adcock’s announcement and the robot’s limited activity highlights challenges in scaling such technology. BMW’s gradual testing underscores the need for rigorous validation before full deployment, while Adcock’s vision points to a future where humanoid robots could transform factory workflows, provided technical and operational hurdles are overcome.