Abstract: A variable compliance assembly is disclosed for use in automatic assembly operations. The variable compliance assembly includes a housing having an interior chamber; a base member, positioned on the surface of the interior chamber, moveable in a multi-directional fashion; a fluid spring operably associated with the housing and base member for controlling the multi-directional movement of the base member and for returning the base member to a normal, self-centering seating position; and a mechanism for associating a pressurized fluid source with the fluid spring to vary the amount of control exerted by the fluid spring on the base member.