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The Digit humanoid transports totes at a Spanx facility run by GXO Logistics in Georgia. | Credit score: Agility Robotics
Particulars are scarce in the meanwhile, however Agility Robotics has a brand new strategic partnership. Schaeffler AG, a worldwide chief in movement know-how, is making a minority funding into Agility and shopping for Digit humanoid robots to be used throughout its world plant community.
The businesses didn’t disclose the scale of the funding, the variety of humanoids being bought, or what they may used for. The Robotic Report reached out to Agility Robotics and Schaeffler for extra particulars, however each corporations declined to remark.
“In disruptive instances, implementing progressive manufacturing options is essential to achieve success,” stated Andreas Schick, chief working officer of Schaeffler. “Right here, humanoids play an necessary function. We, at Schaeffler, will combine this know-how into our operations and see the potential to deploy a big variety of humanoids in our world community of 100 vegetation by 2030. We look ahead to the collaboration with Agility Robotics which is able to speed up our actions on this discipline.”
Agility Robotics gained the inaugural RBR50 Robotic of the Yr Award from The Robotic Report earlier in 2024. It was acknowledged for showcasing Digit’s potential to carry out real-world work in pilots with Amazon and GXO Logistics.
Whereas the pilot with Amazon has been comparatively quiet, GXO formally deployed a “small fleet” of Digit humanoids at a Spanx facility in Georgia. The Digit humanoids decide up totes from 6 River Techniques‘ Chuck autonomous cellular robots (AMRs) and place the totes onto conveyors.
Agility claimed that it was the primary firm to commercially deploy humanoids. It additionally asserted that the GXO deal was the primary robots-as-a-service (RaaS) implementation of such robots.
Humanoid growth marches on
Many different corporations are additionally creating humanoids for business use, together with Apptronik, Boston Dynamics, Determine, and Sanctuary AI, to call just a few. None of them, nevertheless, seem to have deployed their humanoids with prospects past small trials.
“We’re excited to welcome Schaeffler as a buyer and investor, and look ahead to delivering worth of their operations with Digit,” stated Peggy Johnson, who took over as Agility Robotics’ CEO in March 2024. “Whereas our know-how helps corporations like Schaeffler remodel their manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing companies, scaling the usage of humanoid robots would require them to work cooperatively with people and out of doors of the protection cages they’re in at present.”
“I’m assured that within the subsequent 24 months, Agility would be the first firm to ship a secure humanoid robotic that can have the ability to work alongside individuals,” she acknowledged.
There at the moment are not any security requirements for humanoids. Nonetheless, varied efforts are underneath approach to discover a path ahead for related requirements. The IEEE Humanoids Research Group simply launched a survey to raised perceive how human-robot interplay would possibly have an effect on the event of requirements for humanoids.
Late final month, Boston Dynamics launched a formidable video of its new electrical Atlas humanoid. The video reveals the robotic dealing with giant automotive elements autonomously. The corporate stated Atlas makes use of machine studying to execute its duties and 3D imaginative and prescient to understand the world round it.
