Agility Robotics is an American robotics company based in Oregon. Its specialty: bipedal robots capable of moving objects in environments designed for humans. With Digit, it specifically targets repetitive material-handling tasks in warehouses. Its approach is to adapt the machine to existing facilities rather than require a complete redesign of buildings. However, it still needs to demonstrate that this versatility can translate into reliable, economically viable operations.
From walking research to the creation of Digit
Founded in 2015 by Damion Shelton and Jonathan Hurst, Agility Robotics grew out of locomotion research conducted at Oregon State University. The company gained recognition with Cassie, a bipedal robot introduced in 2017, whose legs enable the study of balance and dynamic movement. This initial platform helped establish the technical foundations for subsequent developments.
With Digit, unveiled in 2019, Agility notably added a torso and arms to its walking architecture. The project thus evolved from a locomotion platform into a machine capable of carrying loads. Ford was among the first buyers and explored its use in delivery. The company subsequently refocused its commercial messaging on in-house logistics, where routes and operations can be more closely controlled.
A robot and its software for material handling
Digit has two legs and two arms to grasp, carry and set down objects, particularly bins used in logistics workflows. Its humanoid form is intended to make it easier to integrate into spaces arranged for human operators. This does not mean, however, that the robot can replace every action performed by an employee: commercial applications focus on defined tasks under prepared conditions.
Agility supports its robots with Agility Arc, a software platform designed for their deployment and supervision. This layer makes it possible to organize missions and coordinate the machines’ operation with site processes. The proposed model may include service-based billing rather than a straightforward equipment purchase.
In 2024, logistics provider GXO announced a multiyear commercial agreement with Agility following trials of Digit. The deployment involves a facility in Georgia handling products from the Spanx brand. Amazon has also tested Digit as part of its robotics research program, although these trials alone do not constitute a widespread rollout.
What next?
In 2023, Agility announced RoboFab, a factory in Salem, Oregon, intended to bring its humanoid robots into industrial-scale production. The challenge is now as much about manufacturing as robotics: producing maintainable machines, ensuring their availability and justifying their cost against more specialized automated equipment. Safety, integration into existing workflows and the ability to replicate results from one site to another will determine Digit’s expansion. For Agility, the next stage will therefore be measured less by the sophistication of its demonstrations than by the continuity of the service delivered.