Where Innovation Meets Imagination
Can artificial intelligence (AI) make quality control in vehicle production more efficient, faster and more reliable?
A software solution developed at BMW Group Plant Regensburg as part of the “GenAI4Q” pilot project is making this a reality.
At its core is an AI that delivers tailored inspection recommendations for the approximately 1,400 vehicles manufactured each day. [Read more…] about BMW experiments with AI for smarter vehicle quality control
Kasper Sage, managing partner at BMW i Ventures, gives us some insight into the investment strategy of the venture capital arm of the German automotive giant. By Abdul Montaqim
One of the things we have found most surprising in the past six or seven years since we started publishing RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com is the amount of investment that has gone into the robotics and automation sector – not just from the pockets of people who start their own companies, but also from what could be regarded as outside sectors, specifically pure investment vehicles.
And that investment keeps growing, with 2024 shaping up to be another blockbuster year. According to Crunchbase, the total amount of investment into robotics, automation, and computer vision startups has exceeded $4.2 billion – in seed funding and growth-stage financing – so far this year. [Read more…] about The ultimate investing machine: Interview with BMW i Ventures’ Sage who backed Kodiak
BMW has taken a significant step forward in its automation strategy with the commissioning of an expanded body shop at its Regensburg vehicle plant in Neutraubling, Germany.
The upgrade involved installing a total of 294 industrial robots into the facility – a clear signal of the company’s continued investment in high-efficiency, digitally integrated car manufacturing.
Spanning 40,000 square meters, the newly inaugurated body shop is designed to support rising global demand for the BMW X1 and BMW X2 models. [Read more…] about BMW installs 294 robots in major upgrade of factory in Germany
Embotech, a provider of autonomous driving solutions for logistics, is partnering with with Outsight, a LiDAR software solutions provider, and Hesai, a LiDAR hardware manufacturer, to deliver cutting-edge LiDAR technology and perception software for Embotech’s AVM technology deployed in BMW facilities and known internally at BMW as Automated Driving In-Plant (AFW).
Within this AVN solution, Outsight plays a key role with its advanced LiDAR software platform that tracks the vehicle and the surrounding obstacles within BMW’s production facilities, while Hesai supplies its industry-leading LiDAR sensors, renowned for their accuracy and reliability, which act as the “eyes” of the AVM system.
Initially implemented for the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series in Dingolfing, is now also in use for the MINI Countryman and other BMW models manufactured in Leipzig. [Read more…] about Embotech implements new automated marshalling capabilities in BMW factories
The BMW Group has been awarded the highly-prized CE certification for its automated driving “in-plant” – at Dingolfing, in Germany.
BMW is systematically advancing the digitalisation and automation of its production processes within the BMW iFactory framework.
Since 2022, the company has been testing “Automated Driving In-Plant” (AFW) for new vehicles at its largest European plant in Dingolfing. [Read more…] about BMW awarded CE certification for its iFactory autonomous car facility
Owning a BMW is a commitment to precision engineering and unparalleled performance. With its diverse climate, Philadelphia poses unique challenges for car owners, especially those with high-end vehicles like BMWs.
The city’s weather can take a toll on your prized possessions, from scorching summers to icy winters. To ensure your used BMW continues to deliver optimal performance and retains its aesthetic appeal, it’s crucial to adopt a proactive approach to maintenance.
In this article, we’ll explore valuable tips to keep your used BMW running smoothly in Philadelphia’s varied climate, allowing you to enjoy the open road’s thrill without compromising comfort and safety. [Read more…] about Maintenance Matters: Tips for Keeping Your Used BMW Running Smoothly in Philadelphia’s Varied Climate
Figure, a California-based company developing autonomous humanoid robots, has signed a commercial agreement with BMW Manufacturing to install general purpose robots in automotive manufacturing environments.
Figure says its humanoid robots enable the automation of difficult, unsafe, or tedious tasks throughout the manufacturing process, which in turn allows employees to focus on skills and processes that cannot be automated, as well as continuous improvement in production efficiency and safety.
Brett Adcock, founder and CEO of Figure, says: “Single-purpose robotics have saturated the commercial market for decades, but the potential of general purpose robotics is completely untapped. [Read more…] about Figure to supply ‘general purpose’ humanoid robots to BMW Manufacturing
BMW Group Plant Leipzig’s first cell coating line has gone into series operation as e-component production at the site continues to gain momentum.
By 2024 the two existing module assembly lines will be complemented by a third, as well as four more cell coating lines and two more high-voltage battery assembly lines. The four coating lines will enter series operation during the course of this year at roughly two-month intervals.
Markus Fallböhmer, head of battery production at the BMW Group, says: “From 2024 our plant here in Leipzig will be able to run the entire process chain for high-voltage battery production. [Read more…] about BMW unveils first battery cell coating line at Leipzig factory
Cutting-edge improvements in technology, such as autonomous mobile robots, have been and continue to be the driving force behind automation.
Not least due to their flexible range of applications, AMRs have increasingly been taking over transport tasks in intralogistics. By collaborating with Linde Material Handling, idealworks – a business unit of auto giant BMW – is gaining an important international sales and service partner.
Linde Material Handling, a Kion Group company, is a globally active manufacturer of forklift trucks and warehouse technology equipment as well as a provider of services and solutions for intralogistics. [Read more…] about BMW’s idealworks partners with Linde Material Handling
BMW has expanded its electric vehicle battery manufacturing operations.
The German automotive giant has added a second battery module production line at BMW Group Plant Leipzig.
Further expanding e-component production in the German state of Saxony, the new system manufactures modules for the fully electric BMW i4, made in Munich. Plant Leipzig’s first such production line went on stream in May 2021 and supplies the battery modules for the BMW iX. [Read more…] about BMW expands battery production in its Leipzig factory
