Agility Robotics, creator of the Digit bipedal humanoid mobile manipulation robot (MMR), and pure-play contract logistics provider GXO Logistics, Inc. announced the signing of a multi-year agreement to deploy humanoid robots in GXO's logistics operations. This marks the industry’s first formal commercial deployment of humanoid robots under a Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) model.
Following a successful proof-of-concept pilot in late 2023, GXO will now integrate Agility's Digit robots with other cobots at their SPANX facility. “We’re building on the success of last year’s groundbreaking pilot by deploying fully operational Digit humanoids into a live warehouse environment,” said Adrian Stoch, Chief Automation Officer, GXO. “Our R&D approach is to partner with developers worldwide to build and validate practical use cases that improve the working environment for our employees while optimizing operations for our customers.”
Under the RaaS agreement, GXO will deploy Digit robots along with Agility Arc, Agility’s cloud automation platform for managing Digit fleets. Digit, a multi-purpose, human-centric robot designed for logistics work, will assist with repetitive tasks such as moving totes from cobots to conveyors, all orchestrated through Agility Arc. This platform simplifies the deployment lifecycle from facility mapping and workflow definition to operational management and troubleshooting.
At the SPANX facility, Agility’s solutions will integrate with existing automation, including Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). The partnership will explore additional use cases and scale Digit usage to meet demand throughout the deployment.
“Agility is the first with actual humanoid robots deployed at a customer site, generating revenue and solving real-world business problems,” said Peggy Johnson, CEO of Agility Robotics. “This milestone raises the bar for the entire industry.”