Manufacturers and logistics providers are increasingly turning to automation as persistent labor shortages, an aging workforce, and expanding domestic production place growing pressure on operations. Rather than replacing human workers outright, many companies are adopting robotics to handle repetitive, physically demanding tasks while allowing employees to focus on higher-value activities requiring judgment, adaptability, and technical expertise.
Agility Robotics is among the companies seeking to address these challenges through humanoid automation. The Oregon-based robotics developer has built Digit, a general-purpose bipedal robot designed for logistics and manufacturing environments. Unlike conventional industrial robots that often require dedicated work cells or extensive facility modifications, Digit is engineered to operate within infrastructure already designed for human workers. The robot performs routine material-handling tasks, including transporting containers, moving inventory, and transferring goods between workstations, enabling manufacturers to integrate automation into existing workflows with minimal changes to factory or warehouse layouts.
Agility Robotics expands industrial deployments
Agility Robotics has moved beyond prototype demonstrations by securing pilot programs and commercial deployments with major manufacturers and logistics operators, reflecting growing industry confidence in humanoid robotics for industrial applications.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) recently converted a successful pilot into a commercial deployment, using Digit to transport containers and support material-handling operations within its assembly plant. Meanwhile, the Schaeffler Group deepened its relationship with Agility Robotics through a strategic minority investment and plans to gradually deploy Digit across its global manufacturing network through 2030.
The logistics sector has also become an important testing ground for the technology. GXO Logistics has deployed Digit to transfer containers from autonomous mobile robots to conveyor systems, streamlining internal material flows. Amazon has evaluated the humanoid robot within research and fulfillment facilities for repetitive warehouse tasks, including tote recycling.
Scaling production for commercial demand
As commercial interest in industrial humanoids accelerates, Agility Robotics is expanding both its manufacturing capacity and financial resources to support larger-scale deployments.
The company opened RoboFab in Salem, Oregon, a 70,000-square-foot manufacturing facility dedicated to producing humanoid robots. Described as the first factory purpose-built for humanoid robot production, RoboFab is designed to manufacture more than 10,000 Digit robots annually at full capacity, positioning Agility to transition from limited deployments to higher-volume commercial production.
Agility is also pursuing a proposed $2.5 billion merger with Churchill Capital Corp XI that would take the company public, a transaction expected to provide additional capital to accelerate product development, expand manufacturing capacity, and support broader commercialization. Alongside the announcement, the company disclosed more than $300 million in multi-year contracted orders for its latest Digit V5 humanoid robot, highlighting strengthening customer demand and growing adoption among manufacturing and logistics companies as deployments increasingly transition from pilot projects to commercial-scale implementation.
Building safer human-robot workplaces
As robots are increasingly deployed in shared workspaces with human employees, ensuring safe interaction has become a key consideration. Unlike traditional industrial robots that operate in isolated areas, modern humanoid and mobile robots must navigate dynamic environments while working alongside people. This requires a combination of safety technologies, to protect both workers and robots while maintaining efficient operations.
Making human-robot collaboration safer
As humanoid robots enter shared workspaces, safety remains a key consideration. Potential hazards include collisions, dropped loads, and unexpected movements when robots operate alongside people. To mitigate these risks, developers are incorporating advanced sensing, obstacle detection, and other safety features to support safer human-robot collaboration.
U.S. Patent No. 12,560,948 describes a multi-level safety system that helps protect people working alongside dynamically stable mobile robots, such as humanoids. The robot continuously monitors nearby workers using sensors and machine learning to assess collision risks based on factors such as proximity and movement. As the level of risk increases, the robot responds by slowing down, lowering its posture to reduce the impact of a potential fall, or performing a complete safety stop that requires manual restart. The approach aims to improve human safety while minimizing unnecessary interruptions to robot operations.
The patent, titled “Escalating hazard-response of dynamically stable mobile robot in a collaborative environment and related technology” was filed on February 28, 2025, and was granted on February 24, 2026. The listed inventors are Kevin Reese, Andrew Abate, Tianyao Chen, Jay Jasper, Ezm Masoud, Brian Kirby, Melonee Wise, Prasanna Velagapudi, Ryan Domres, Todd Lewis, Matteo Parigi Polverini, and Yves Georgy Daoud
Managing robot fleets at scale
As fleets of autonomous robots grow, managing individual robot failures becomes increasingly important for maintaining safe and reliable operations. A malfunctioning robot can obstruct workflows, interfere with nearby robots, or create safety risks if left unattended. Fleet management technologies are therefore being developed to quickly identify affected robots and remotely place only those units into a safe state or controlled shutdown, allowing the rest of the fleet to continue operating with minimal disruption while reducing the risk of further incidents.
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2025/0189962 describes a fleet management system that enables operators to identify and communicate with individual robots within a group of deployed autonomous robots. Each robot responds with a unique ID, allowing the system to verify its status and selectively send commands such as task assignments, maintenance requests, or safe-state instructions. If a robot becomes unresponsive or experiences a communication failure, the system can identify the affected unit and remotely place only that robot into a safe state or shutdown, helping maintain fleet safety without interrupting the operation of other robots.
The patent application, titled “Differential Communication With Robots in a Fleet and Related Technology” was filed on November 8, 2023, published on June 12, 2025. The listed inventors are Andrew Abate, Daniel Alvin Bennett, Bambi Roberts Brewer, Ryan James Domres Bradley Stewart Hamner, Sean Cambell Hunter, Jay David Jasper, Brian Kirby, Brian Lange, Krupal Thakolal Patel, and Alejandro Tomas Perez
Extending humanoid robots beyond the warehouse
While warehouse sorting and transportation have become increasingly automated, the “last mile” of delivery remains one of the most labor-intensive and costly parts of the logistics chain. Delivering packages from a vehicle to a customer’s doorstep still relies heavily on human drivers navigating environments designed for people, including sidewalks, stairs, and gates. As demand for faster deliveries grows, the industry is exploring autonomous solutions that can improve delivery efficiency, reduce operating costs, and extend automation beyond distribution centers into real-world environments.
U.S. Patent No. 11,928,638 describes a mixed-use transportation system that combines passenger travel with autonomous package delivery. The patent envisions an autonomous vehicle carrying both passengers and deployable bipedal robots, which can exit the vehicle to deliver or collect packages before returning onboard. By enabling package deliveries during passenger trips or off-peak travel hours, the system aims to improve fleet utilization and increase the efficiency of last-mile logistics.
The patent, titled “Systems and methods for mixed-use delivery of people and packages using autonomous vehicles and machines” was filed on May 8, 2020, published on March 12, 2024. The listed inventors are co-founders of Agility Robotics, Jonathan Hurst and Damion Shelton.
Agility Robotics: Patenting Activity
Agility Robotics began filing patents in 2019, with relatively modest activity during its early years. 2020 marked the company’s first notable increase in patent filings, coinciding with the commercial launch of its Digit bipedal robot. During the same year, Agility raised $20 million to further develop Digit and expand deployments across logistics, e-commerce, and industrial applications.
Agility introduced the next-generation Digit humanoid robot and announced RoboFab in Salem, Oregon, the world’s first factory dedicated to manufacturing humanoid robots. The facility was designed to eventually produce more than 10,000 Digit robots annually, supporting the company’s efforts to scale commercial production.
Agility Robotics: Top Technology Areas
Agility Robotics’ patent portfolio is primarily focused on technologies that support the operation of its humanoid robots in industrial environments. A significant portion of its patents relates to robot manipulation (B25J) and material movement and mobility (B62D, B60P), reflecting Digit’s role in handling objects and transporting materials within factories and warehouses.
The portfolio also includes technologies for multi-robot coordination (G05D, G05B, B60W), enabling fleets of robots to operate efficiently in shared workspaces, as well as processing and computer vision systems (G06F, G06T) that help robots perceive their surroundings and perform tasks more autonomously.
Agility Robotics: Top Legal Representatives
Agility Robotics relies on a combination of in-house and external legal counsel to manage and prosecute its global patent portfolio. In the United States, the company’s patent filings are handled by both internal attorneys, including Carl A. Ronald and Theodore Baker, and external representatives such as John M. Janeway and the law firm Babst Calland.
Outside the United States, Agility works with local patent representatives to support international filings. Maruyama & Co. serves as the company’s patent representative, overseeing the prosecution of its Japanese patent applications.