BMW pilots AEON robot in Leipzig, expanding physical AI to automate heavy battery assembly tasks across production.
BMW Group is stepping up the use of physical AI across its production network. The company has launched a pilot project at its Leipzig plant and established a new Center of Competence for Physical AI in Production to accelerate the global integration of robotics and artificial intelligence.
After successfully deploying humanoid robots at its Spartanburg facility in the United States, the automaker has now introduced the AEON humanoid robot. Developed with Hexagon Robotics, the system is designed to automate heavy, repetitive battery assembly tasks.In November 2025, California-based Figure AI retired its Figure 02 humanoid robots after an 11-month deployment at BMW’s Spartanburg plant.AI powers manufacturingBMW Group is advancing digitalisation and artificial intelligence in its production network, with a strong focus on “Physical AI,” which links digital AI with real machines and robots. According to the German firm, the approach enables intelligent systems, including humanoid robots, to operate in live manufacturing environments. The company is now bringing Physical AI to Europe for the first time, launching a pilot project at its Leipzig plant in Germany to integrate humanoid robots into car production and explore battery and component manufacturing.Hexagon’s Robotics Division, based in Zurich, focuses on Physical AI and unveiled its first humanoid robot, AEON, in June 2025. After initial theoretical assessments and successful laboratory trials, AEON underwent its first test deployment at the BMW Group Plant Leipzig in December 2025. A second deployment is scheduled from April 2026, placing the robot on the factory floor ahead of a full pilot phase in summer 2026. In Leipzig, AEON’s multifunctional capabilities, modular gripping tools, scanning systems, and wheeled mobility will be tested, particularly for high-voltage battery assembly and component manufacturing tasks.“The emphasis is on researching multifunctional use of the robot in various production areas, such as battery manufacturing for energy modules and component production for exterior parts,” said Michael Ströbel, head of Process Management and Digitalization in Production, BMW Group, in a statement. Multimodal sensor intelligenceAEON humanoid robot is built as a general-purpose industrial platform powered by advanced mechatronics, multimodal sensor fusion, and real-time physical AI. Designed for manufacturing, aerospace, transportation, and logistics, AEON performs precision tasks such as part manipulation, inspection, asset scanning, and operational support in dynamic environments.According to Hexagon, a major technological pillar behind AEON is simulation-first development. The robot was trained primarily in virtual environments using NVIDIA’s Isaac platform, including Isaac Sim and Isaac Lab. In simulation, AEON learned navigation, locomotion, and manipulation skills before deployment, compressing core training timelines to just weeks instead of months.AEON runs on NVIDIA’s Jetson Orin edge computers for real-time perception and decision-making, with plans to upgrade to the IGX Thor platform to enable advanced collaborative safety. It also leverages NVIDIA’s Isaac GR00T foundation model and Mimic tools to learn from human demonstrations and generate synthetic motion data, accelerating skill acquisition.Equipped with a sophisticated sensor suite, AEON captures high-resolution spatial data and uploads it to Hexagon’s Reality Cloud Studio via HxDR. Integrated with NVIDIA Omniverse, the system enables real-time 3D modeling and digital-twin collaboration, tightly linking physical operations to cloud-based industrial workflows.
AI Automation Battery Production BMW BMW Leipzig Plant EV Factory Automation Hexagon Robotics Humanoid Robotics
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