Agility Robotics
- Founded: 2015
- Headquarters: United States
- Website: agilityrobotics.com
Agility Robotics is a US company founded in 2015 that emerged as a spin‐off from the Dynamic Robotics Lab at Oregon State University. Initially focused on exploring the dynamics of bipedal walking, essential for replicating human locomotion, the company has since specialized in developing automation solutions using humanoid robots.
The company has its roots in the advancements made at Oregon State University and, although its official headquarters are listed in Albany, Oregon, it has been expanding its facilities. Recently, it inaugurated its first dedicated factory for humanoid robots, called RoboFab, located in Salem, which is intended for mass production of its robots.
Models and Applications
Agility Robotics offers several robot models:
- Cassie: The first bipedal robot that, having only the lower body, was primarily used as a research platform to study locomotion and dynamic stability.
- Digit: This is the commercially deployed humanoid robot. Equipped with a torso, arms, and sophisticated perception systems (such as cameras and LiDAR) along with motors that provide human-like mobility, Digit is designed to operate in environments originally built for people. Its main application is focused on automating repetitive and physically demanding tasks in industrial and logistical settings (for example, loading and moving containers, palletizing, and unloading products).
Future Objectives
Agility Robotics aims to transform how manual tasks are performed in sectors such as logistics, manufacturing, and distribution, with plans to eventually expand into other markets, including retail and consumer sectors. Among its future objectives are:
Enhancing efficiency and safety in human-robot collaboration:
Digit is designed to work in shared spaces with human workers, helping to alleviate the labor shortage in repetitive, physically strenuous, and sometimes hazardous roles.
- Ongoing development and improvement: The company is committed to integrating advanced artificial intelligence algorithms into a complete control system (referred to as “Embodied AI”) so that the robot can learn new tasks, improve its autonomy, and adapt to various workflows.
- Scalability and innovative business models: With the creation of the Agility Arc™ platform—a cloud-based automation system—Agility Robotics seeks not only to deploy its robots but also to integrate them flexibly and at scale into industrial processes, transforming traditional operations into a “Robot-as-a-Service” model.
Agility Robotics positions itself as a pioneer in the manufacturing of practical humanoid robots, with Digit leading the way as part of a complete solution to address the challenge of labor shortages in critical tasks. The company’s future vision is focused on expanding automation into new fields while maintaining a commitment to safety and collaboration with human workers.
