> QuickAnswer: Figure 03 is in production at 1 unit per hour from Figure AI's BotSQ factory, with 350 units deployed at BMW plants as of November 2026. It is not available for general purchase in the UK and will not appear on the used market before 2028 at the earliest. UK buyers who want a humanoid or advanced robot today should look at Unitree G1 (from £8,500 used), Boston Dynamics Spot (from £15,000 used), or Agility Digit through authorised UK channels.
# Figure 03 Humanoid: 350 Units Shipped, 1 Per Hour Production — What UK Buyers Should Know
The robotics news cycle has been dominated in late 2026 by production milestones, and Figure AI's announcement stands out. Three hundred and fifty Figure 03 humanoid robots are now operating on BMW production lines, and the company's BotSQ factory in San Jose is producing one unit per hour. For anyone tracking the humanoid robot market, those numbers matter. For UK buyers, the more important question is whether any of this translates into robots you can actually buy, today or in the near future.
The honest answer is not for a while. But understanding where Figure 03 sits in the broader humanoid landscape helps you make a sharper decision about what to buy now.
What Is Figure 03 and How Did We Get Here?
Figure AI launched publicly in 2022 with a clear industrial focus: build a general-purpose humanoid for the jobs that are hazardous, repetitive, or physically demanding in ways that are hard to automate with fixed-arm robots. The company's progression has been unusually rapid.
Figure 01 was the proof-of-concept unit used for internal development and investor demonstrations. Figure 02 was the pilot platform deployed at BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina facility in early 2024, the first time a humanoid from a startup operated at a major automotive manufacturer. Figure 03 is the production version, refined from the learnings of that pilot.
The jump from pilot to production is significant. Figure 03 incorporates structural improvements from two years of factory-floor feedback, runs Figure's Helix AI system for end-to-end dexterous manipulation, and is designed with serviceability in mind from the ground up. According to Figure AI, the goal is a robot that can be maintained by a technician on-site rather than requiring specialist factory service visits.
What Does 350 Units and 1 Per Hour Mean in Practice?
The 350-unit figure covers all Figure 03 deployments at BMW Group facilities. BMW operates dozens of manufacturing plants globally, so individual site densities are likely small, with robotics functions concentrated in areas such as body-in-white assembly and parts kitting where dexterous manipulation has the highest value.
The production rate is the more interesting number. One unit per hour at the BotSQ factory translates to roughly 8,760 units per year at continuous full capacity. That is not a mass-market rate; it is an industrial production rate suited to a capital equipment business where each unit sells for an estimated £80,000 to £150,000 based on comparable humanoid platforms. At the lower end of that range, annual revenue from BotSQ capacity alone would exceed £700 million.
For context, the International Federation of Robotics reported 590,000 industrial robot installations globally in 2023. The global installed base of traditional industrial robots now exceeds 4.6 million units. Figure's current production rate is a rounding error against that backdrop. The significance is not scale but trajectory: a startup moving from demo videos to 350 production units in roughly two years is a signal the technology is maturing faster than many analysts predicted.
Will Figure 03 Come to the UK?
There is no UK distribution channel for Figure 03 as of November 2026. The BMW partnership is North American in scope, and Figure AI has not announced any European or UK reseller agreements.
Even if Figure AI were to open UK sales tomorrow, the product is priced for large industrial operators, not the broader used robot market that Robot AutoTrader serves. At £80,000 to £150,000 per unit, Figure 03 sits well above the entry points for most UK businesses exploring humanoid automation.
The more realistic question for UK buyers is when Figure 03 units will begin appearing on the secondary market. Industrial robots on long-term manufacturing contracts typically have a minimum two-year deployment period before the operator considers disposal. BMW's deployments are likely to run for considerably longer given the investment in integration and training. A conservative estimate puts the first used Figure 03 units appearing on the global secondary market around 2028 to 2029, with UK-accessible listings dependent on whether European distribution is established by that point.
How Does Figure 03 Compare to What You Can Buy Now?
For UK buyers who want an advanced robot today, the comparison field is entirely different from Figure 03. Here is how the available platforms stack up.
| Platform | Type | Approx used price (UK) | UK availability | Best use case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unitree G1 | Bipedal humanoid | From £8,500 | Yes — now | Research, development, demos |
| Boston Dynamics Spot | Quadruped | From £15,000 | Yes — now | Inspection, mapping, security |
| Agility Digit | Bipedal humanoid | Quote basis | Yes — via Agility sales | Logistics, parts handling |
| SoftBank NAO | Small humanoid | From £1,500 | Yes — now | Education, research |
| Figure 03 | Bipedal humanoid | £80,000–£150,000 (est.) | No — industrial partners only | Automotive assembly (BMW only) |
Unitree G1 is the most affordable bipedal humanoid on the UK market, priced at approximately £13,000 new and available from around £8,500 used. The G1 is not an industrial platform; it is a research and development robot with impressive locomotion and emerging manipulation capabilities. For developers, educators, and technology demonstrators, it represents the most accessible entry point into bipedal humanoid hardware. See our Unitree G1 UK buyers guide for inspection and buying advice.
Boston Dynamics Spot is a quadruped, not a humanoid, but it is the most capable autonomous mobile inspection platform available to UK buyers at accessible price points. Used Spot units are available from approximately £15,000. Spot has a mature software ecosystem, wide enterprise deployment, and established UK support channels. For inspection, security, and remote monitoring applications, Spot is the benchmark. Our Boston Dynamics Spot price guide covers current UK pricing in detail.
Agility Robotics Digit is the closest competitor to Figure 03 in terms of positioning. Digit is designed for logistics and manufacturing environments and is available through Agility's sales team on a quote basis. Used Digit units are beginning to appear on the secondary market following early customer deployments. Our Agility Digit UK buyers guide covers what to look for.
SoftBank NAO is a smaller humanoid used widely in education and research. Available from approximately £1,500 used. Not relevant for industrial applications, but an affordable entry point for developers and educational institutions.
Does Figure 03's Production Rate Change the Used Market?
Not immediately, but it sets a price anchor. When a production humanoid enters the market at an estimated £80,000 to £150,000, it anchors buyer expectations about what full-capability industrial humanoids cost. As more platforms approach that functionality, used prices on the broader market will be calibrated against Figure 03's new price.
This matters for buyers of Unitree G1, Boston Dynamics Spot, and Agility Digit. If the market normalises the idea that a production humanoid costs £80,000 or more new, used prices on platforms like Spot and Digit at £15,000 to £40,000 start to look like genuine bargains rather than expensive novelties.
The other dynamic is production learning curves. Figure AI, Agility, and Unitree are all investing heavily in manufacturing scale. Each doubling of cumulative production volume typically reduces unit cost by 15 to 25 percent in hardware-intensive industries. By 2028 to 2029, the new price of a capable humanoid could be meaningfully lower than today's estimates, which will also affect the used market floor.
What Should UK Buyers Do in November 2026?
The honest advice is straightforward: if you need an advanced robot today, buy what is available today. Figure 03 is not an option, and by the time it reaches the UK used market, two more product generations will likely exist.
For humanoid buyers, Unitree G1 and Boston Dynamics Spot are the most defensible purchases. For industrial automation buyers, used cobots from established manufacturers remain the most cost-effective route. For anyone who wants to track the humanoid landscape, our guide to the best humanoid robots to buy used in 2026 covers the full available field.
Figure 03's production milestone is worth monitoring because it proves the category is real. It does not change what is in stock today.
Browse used humanoid and advanced robots on Robot AutoTrader
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Figure 03 be available to buy in the UK?
Figure 03 has no UK distribution channel and is sold exclusively to industrial partners such as BMW. Units are unlikely to appear on the used market before 2028 at the earliest. UK buyers looking for humanoids in 2026 should consider Unitree G1 (from £8,500 used) or Boston Dynamics Spot (from £15,000 used).
How does Figure 03 compare to Unitree G1 and Boston Dynamics Spot?
Figure 03 is a full bipedal humanoid optimised for automotive assembly tasks. Unitree G1 is a research-grade bipedal humanoid at a fraction of the estimated price. Boston Dynamics Spot is a quadruped suited to inspection and remote monitoring. Figure 03 is not currently purchasable in the UK; the other two are available on the used market now.
What humanoid robots can UK buyers actually purchase in 2026?
UK buyers can purchase Unitree G1 from approximately £8,500 used, Boston Dynamics Spot from approximately £15,000 used, SoftBank NAO from approximately £1,500 used, and Agility Digit on a quote basis.
Is Figure AI's production rate fast enough to meet demand?
Figure's BotSQ factory produces approximately one unit per hour, or around 8,760 units per year at full capacity. That is sufficient for the BMW partnership but is a small fraction of the addressable market. Mass-market humanoid production at the scale of traditional industrial robots is still several years away.