Agility Robotics is finishing construction on a factory in Salem, Oregon, where it plans to mass produce its first line of humanoid robots, called Digit. Each robot has two legs and two arms and is designed to move freely and work alongside humans in warehouses and factories.
CNBC he says:
The 6503-square-foot facility, which the company calls “RoboFab,” is the first of its kind, according to Damion Shelton, co-founder and CEO of Agility Robotics.
COO Aindrea Campbell, who was formerly Apple's senior director of iPad operations and director of engineering at Ford, told CNBC that the facility will have a maximum annual production of 10.000 units when completed and will employ more than 500 people. For now, however, Agility Robotics is focused on installing and testing the first production lines.
Funded by DCVC and Playground Global among its investors, Agility Robotics beat out would-be competitors like Tesla by completing development of prototype humanoid production robots and building a factory where it can mass-produce them.
Shelton told CNBC that his team developed Digit in human form so that the robots can lift, sort and maneuver while remaining balanced. So they can work in environments where there is no room for bulky machinery. The robots are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
Something missing from the Digit is a hand with five fingers. The robot's hands look more like a claw or a glove.
Digit can climb stairs, bend into tight spaces, unload containers and move materials from a pallet or conveyor, then help sort and divide the material onto other pallets, according to Agility.
The company plans to use the robots to transport materials around its own factory. Preferred Agility partners will be the first to receive the robots next year.
