BMW's Virtual Factory Uses AI to Hone the Assembly Line

German carmaker BMW plans to start making drivetrains for electric vehicles at a vast factory in Regensburg, Bavaria, later in 2021. Well before any new parts roll off the production line, the entire manufacturing process will run in stunningly realistic detail inside a virtual version of the factory. The simulation allows managers to plan the production process in greater detail than was previously possible, says Markus Grüeneisl, who leads production strategy at BMW. "We now have a perfect digital twin of our real-time production," he says. The simulation is part of BMW's plan to use more artificial intelligence in manufacturing. Grüeneisl says machine-learning algorithms can simulate robots performing complex maneuvers to find the most efficient process.