(WATCH) World’s First Humanoid Robot Factory
Agility Robotics announced it plans to open the world’s first factory for humanoid robots.
“Agility Robotics, creator of the groundbreaking bipedal robot Digit, today revealed that the company is opening RoboFab, a robot manufacturing facility in Salem, Oregon with the capability to produce more than 10,000 robots per year,” Agility Robotics said Monday.
Digit is the “first human-centric, multi-purpose robot made for logistics work,” according to Agility Robotics’ website.
“This is the world’s first humanoid robot factory. This has never been done before,” said Agility Robotics Chief Operating Officer Aindrea Campbell.
Campbell hopes one day, humanoid robots will be all over the world.
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Agility Robotics stated:
Initial construction of Agility’s 70,000 square foot robot factory began last year, and it is set to open later this year. Agility anticipates production capacity of hundreds of Digit robots in the first year, with the capability to scale to more than 10,000 robots per year. At full capacity, RoboFab will employ more than 500 workers in Salem, in addition to employees at Agility’s other locations. Digit also will work in the new factory, in a similar capacity to Agility’s customer sites, moving, loading, and unloading totes.
Digit is designed from the ground up to go where people go and do useful work, safely, in spaces designed for people. Because so many tasks are designed around human workflows, Digit’s human-centric design enables multi-purpose utility. Initial applications include bulk material handling within warehouses and distribution centers. With the opening of the new manufacturing facility, customers that are participating in the Agility Partner Program (APP) can expect delivery of the first Digits in 2024, with general market availability in 2025.
“The opening of our factory marks a pivotal moment in the history of robotics: the beginning of the mass production of commercial humanoid robots,” said Damion Shelton, Agility Robotics’ co-founder and CEO. “We built Digit to solve difficult problems in today’s workforce like injuries, burnout, high turnover and unfillable labor gaps, with the ultimate vision of enabling humans to be more human. When you’re building new technology to make society better, the most important milestone is when you’re able to mass produce that technology at a scale where it can have a real, widespread impact.”
“Do you remember the viral video of that one robot that passed out while working? Well, they are making a factory full of them,” Interesting Engineering said.
WATCH:
Agility Robotics unveils the first humanoid robot factory, transforming manufacturing and job opportunities. Robots will assist in healthcare, logistics, and disaster relief. Emphasis on collaboration, not replacement. Exciting times ahead! pic.twitter.com/jPWlpd16fe
— Interesting Engineering (@IntEngineering) September 22, 2023
“Not only are we building the world’s first factory for humanoid robots, but we’re doing so in the United States about 30 miles from our engineering center which is fantastic for setting us up to scale quickly,” Campbell said.
“By establishing RoboFab as a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub in Salem, Oregon, we are not only accelerating the development and deployment of advanced robotic systems, but also cultivating innovation and creating high-skilled job opportunities. With the capability to produce Digit at scale, we are poised to change the future of work for the better,” she added.
