Go Figure: BMW taps androids for auto plant work

Plus: Meta going big on AGI, Roman space telescope to begin search for dark matter in 2027                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 January 19, 2024 | [Read Online]( BMW will use humanoid robots from startup Figure to automate manufacturing tasks at its South Carolina SUV plant. The partnership marks Figure's first commercial deal since its 2022 founding to build versatile and safe humanoid assistants. Starting small then potentially expanding, the robots will train over 12-24 months for jobs like welding, materials handling and warehousing before BMW evaluates their contribution to the plant’s productivity. Learn more about BMW’s decision to join the likes of Honda and Hyundai in experimenting with human-like robots in today’s [Must Read](. 🚨 If you enjoy The Blueprint, you’ll love [Vital Component](, our essential roundup of the top engineering, science, and tech news delivered every Sunday. Good morning. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Let’s get into it! Reading time: 5 minutes Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe ✉](  VIDEO OF THE DAY Why electric vehicle production is in danger China's EV surge, exceeding 8 million sales, hits a snag — resource scarcity. But innovations in deep-sea mining and tech recycling could accelerate sustainable production. IE+ SUPPORT INTERESTING ENGINEERING Invest In Science And Engineering Insider access to exclusive content, featuring riveting stories that take you right to the heart of the action. Engage with our thriving online community, dive into captivating science discoveries, and stay informed with our enlightening weekly premium newsletters. With IE+, quality reporting is more than just news - and it is Ad-Free. [Subscribe]( HOT TOPICS - ✈️ [China constructs world's largest wind tunnel to outpace Boeing, Airbus]( After 16 years of shrouded secrecy, China reveals its 18 state-of-the-art wind tunnels for the aviation world. - 📦 [Wing debut cargo drone supports 5lb payloads to streamline large orders]( The new aircraft can also complete a round trip of 12 miles while cruising at a maximum speed of 65 mph. - 🛰 [Caltech’s space solar power project completes inaugural mission]( Caltech's Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1) was launched into space one year ago. - 🍃 [These tiny 'power plants' use the wind and rain to generate electricity]( Researchers develop artificial 'power plants' in the form of tiny leaf-shapes to harness energy from the wind and rain. MUST READ 🏭 [BMW taps Figure’s humanoid robots for car plant duties]( Figure’s machines encapsulate advanced artificial intelligence software within an anthropomorphic frame that can adapt via context learning to learn new skills. Movable hands and thumbs with bipedal motion allow dexterity and mobility akin to humans across various environments at the BMW plant. The robots offer capabilities approaching our own, both physically and cognitively. Other automakers are also exploring automation using humanoid robot designs. But debates continue around the potential risks as intelligent machines work more closely with people. Figure notes its robots collaborate with people rather than replace them, taking on repetitive and unsafe jobs so human team members can focus on higher-level contributions. Still, widespread adoption remains uncertain at this time, despite surging investor interest. [Read more >]( [CULTURE]( ⏩ [Meta’s next big thing is open source ‘artificial general intelligence](’ Meta restructured its artificial intelligence research team to speed progress toward the holy grail of “general intelligence” that matches human cognition, and previewed collaborations with Microsoft and Nvidia. CEO Mark Zuckerberg linked the compute-intensive goal to enhancing futuristic virtual reality headsets and online worlds in a consolidating play that unites a number of Meta projects. They also aim to make these real-world AI applications open source for other developers to use. [Read more >]( [SCIENCE]( 🌌 [Roman telescope’s cosmic gaze to pierce through dark matter veil in 2027]( NASA’s Roman Space Telescope, due for launch in 2027, will scan star streams around the Andromeda galaxy for gaps that may be formed by dark matter’s gravitational influence. While the invisible material’s presence is inferred from odd galaxy rotations, directly spying on these star formations could reveal more of dark matter’s elusive qualities. [Read more >]( JOB ALERT In this section you’ll find the latest jobs as featured on: [jobs.interestingengineering.com]( [Java AWS Engineer]( at Sainsburys Manchester (UK) [Senior Software Engineer - Cloud Engineering Infrastructure]( at Oracle United States [Engines Project Engineer III (R38555)]( at Blue Origin, LLC Huntsville [Software Engineer - Rendering Engine, PICO]( at ByteDance San Jose (US) $194,000 - $355,000 a year [See More Jobs >]( Question of the Day Do you suspect that corporations are investing in robots to get around the need for any human workers? [Yes, that's how things are shaping up]( [Yes, but they won't get away with it]( [Yes, but they will find humans cannot be replaced]( [No, nothing like that is happening]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS We asked if you think advances in robotics will outpace artificial intelligence in 2024. Here are the results. 🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Yes, a lot appears to be happening (30) 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 They’re two sides of the same coin (111) 🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ AI and robotics together, yes (82) 🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ No, AI will make astonishing progress (52) 275 Votes “We’re building an absolutely massive amount of infrastructure to support this. By the end of the year, we’re going to have around 350,000 Nvidia H100s, or around 600,000 H100 equivalents of compute if you include other GPUs.”” Mark Zuckerberg, on Meta’s AGI initiative THINGS WE LOVE [[Coway Airmega Air Purifier] Coway Airmega Air Purifier $167.99]( [[CIGMAN Dual Laser Distance Meter] XIEBro Vacuum Cleaner $1799.99]( [[Dreo Radiator Heater] Dreo Radiator Heater $116.18]( [[Smart XL grill] Smart XL grill $199.99]( AND ANOTHER THING - [EU and UK to face over 800 billion euros in losses if sea levels rise]( - [Astroscale secures $25.5M contract for cutting-edge in-space refueler]( - [Generative AI model remembers and thinks like a human brain, says study]( - [EU breakthrough laser beams could power nanosatellites in space wirelessly]( Need help with advertising? Reach 150,000 engineering and tech professionals. [Contact us](mailto:sales@interestingengineering.com?subject=Newsletter+Sponsorship) what else? ⚙️ To explore the wonders of mechanical engineering, get your [Mechanical]( 🔷 For all the week’s top engineering stories, subscribe to the [Vital Component]( 🛩️ For the latest on propulsion, satellites, aeronautics, and more, subscribe to [Aerospace]( 🧑🏻‍🔧 For expert advice on engineering careers, subscribe to [Engineer Pros]( 🧠New: To get the latest AI news every Monday, subscribe to [AI Logs]( 🎬 For a weekly round-up of our best science, tech & engineering videos, subscribe to [IE Originals]( For our weekly premium newsletter and an ad-free experience, [sign up for IE+]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Give Feedback](mailto:tim.snaith@interestingengineering.com?subject=User%20feedback%20for%20the%20Blueprint) --------------------------------------------------------------- //link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/gIGIpUF6d1hGqcQjHe437kyVA6g1LfBq9HXC1ZND4y_KHdNGtW9Rjemv5T9JZONn9N6kE9FabNy8ENARvywendjBQSc8nkjJI3Jm-fN-jt97HCIFeLuaqvPij5Yj0LHjilTDSYJrwUtaG644J9qFkYtiC8DpaSOKaiPghzxB5H_Qa9T0HdaNQyH1uT1RqPtdi_IYCdKFOIgR-oS1tbSSpKPzW2bx7sDezz7TyJ4eO1xZ_vW01NUaIzYeqmLa1WU8/434/ZrAJpQXQRfGmYSPgfcZRVw/h44/-NOR3DmlWc91weqRfsG0aMcKCRZ4KempGOD8Iq6V_xg//link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/oI2ds1eY3zrDzwM4HveOVRmeJ5i_p5i5KNVinJHZlhSkOHNfWq__msc9VRtNfnHyXddq6vzr5t6T6GYW7KJXdUpzzfGanFORrMI8zWICIfEjm4EeiJq4Bt8OPeELuqlXrJmS9s8Y30WqEmDFAZ00pb3-oAzZvxOvVKHeI3_NGWz3uvJ8WRBuzN-2rJD2szdpDxRVW3jfmeigLsjs68Qjq1kxln2irNeUSDiQv0-WHLI/434/ZrAJpQXQRfGmYSPgfcZRVw/h46/xXGdj7nsp1nealQLLv_E2j2ux-DaR-Amj4-3nbWhmIU//link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/gIGIpUF6d1hGqcQjHe437oAWXHY86pFVzUigyeO7aWaLPmh4WUXCw0RjhsSC7o2NbU_ca_kYL8MJJVyxd9lLLHnpv384io7Db-FZ5RsZytiT-YlGVF8fbTbGPt28XyPQwBGQ2AGbTq_P7JGGRajS4TUj-AlNkw9k9ssxW0KQT2dvaqK9VTl7DpMtnNFaipEZHhBrGMau5-TRurkcZV7oTspscVwO4lPd-ZjHf3NSRoORgj7JP-FLi6cwQiOlxu15/434/ZrAJpQXQRfGmYSPgfcZRVw/h48/rY3bacQXO2Mtu5hZAY5lWAgspgur5E59RrMjMQGrJ-o Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here]( © 2024 The Blueprint 530 5th Ave New York, New York 10036, United States of America