Agility Robotics’ main product is a bipedal humanoid robot called Digit. The robot is fully autonomous and has a set of sensors and cameras to collect data about the objects in its environment. The robot is also equipped with a dual action manipulator and a battery pack.

What is Agility Robotics’ capability?

Digit can adapt to the tasks of its customers – lifts and carries heavy boxes, transfers them to shelves, moves goods from one part of the warehouse to another and automatically runs over obstacles. From one charge, the robot can work up to 3.5 hours, and its maximum speed is 1.5 m / s.

Agility has been supplying such machines to its partners for the past three years. Notably, American automaker Ford bought a large amount of Digit early last year and has promised to buy more robots in the near future.

All Agility studies deployed in real businesses collect useful information to design more advanced models. Now the startup is working on a commercial robot that will learn to do “finer” jobs – learn to open boxes and move small items.

We are working on an advanced robot, a fully commercialized solution that we will start selling to businesses later this year. This robot will perform tasks that have traditionally been difficult to automate, such as opening storage boxes and unloading tractors with trailers.
— said co-founder and coach of startup Jonathan Hearst.

As a result of its latest funding round, Agility has raised $180 million. In addition to DCVC and Playground Global, other well-known investors have joined the developer: MFV Partners, ITIC, Robotics Hub, Safar Partners, Sony Innovation Fund and TDK Ventures. The startup will direct the raised capital to expand production capacity near the United States. Agility plans to open a new office in Pittsburgh and double its staff.

How Agility Robotics works: watch the video

Rival Tesla Bot

The closest competitor to Agility is the Tesla Bot, which Elon Musk announced in 2021. This robot is focused on performing routine tasks to free a person from some responsibilities.

According to Maska, the company pays special attention to the Optimus Subprime project, which refers to the development of the Tesla Bot. According to the billionaire, Tesla could play a key role in creating what’s called “general purpose artificial intelligence” or “powerful AI” that will allow the machines under his control to rely on human mind-level mental abilities. and outrun him in a series of routine tasks.

Described features of Tesla’s future robot:

• It will be 173 centimeters tall and weigh about 57 kilograms;
• The robot will be able to carry a cargo weight of up to 20 kilograms;
• The maximum load is 68 kilograms;
• The robot will be able to carry up to 4.5 kilograms with outstretched arms.
• The maximum running speed when moving on two legs will be 8 km / h.