Pilot project at the BMW plant in Leipzig: humanoid robots used in production in Germany for the first time
BMW is bringing physical AI to Europe for the first time and launching a pilot project with humanoid robots at its Leipzig plant. The aim of the project is to integrate humanoid robotics into existing automotive series production and to test further applications, including in battery manufacturing.
The BMW Group is consistently driving forward digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence in production. A key element here is "physical AI," which combines digital artificial intelligence (AI) with real machines and robots. Intelligent systems such as humanoid robots can thus be integrated into real production processes.
Together with Hexagon, a long-standing and established partner of the BMW Group in the field of sensor technology and software, the first pilot project in Europe is now underway. Hexagon's organizational unit Hexagon Robotics, based in Zurich, specializes in physical AI and presented its first humanoid robot, AEON, in June 2025. After an initial theoretical evaluation phase and successful laboratory tests, the first test deployment took place at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig in December 2025. A further test deployment is planned for April 2026 to ensure full integration for the actual pilot phase starting in summer 2026.
The focus of the deployment in Leipzig is to test a multifunctional application of the robot. This is based on the design of AEON, whose human-like body can flexibly dock a wide variety of hand and gripping elements or scanning tools and can be used dynamically on wheels. During the test and later in the pilot phase, it will be used in the assembly of high-voltage batteries and in component manufacturing.