Agility Robotics will open a new facility of approximately 60,000 square feet in Frimont, California, to train its human robot Digit. The new site is not far from Tesla’s expected start-up of Optimus production this year, but also allows the robot company to stand directly in Tesla’s industrial hinterland.

The company hopes to use this facility to speed up the landing of robots. Digit is currently carrying out porting tasks in manufacturing and warehousing sites, with customers including Amazon, GXO, Scheffler and Toyota Canadian Manufacturing Corporation. According to Agility, the relevant robot contract order amounted to $300 million.

Digit is in for a paid deployment.

Unlike many human robotics that are still at the demonstration stage, Agility emphasizes that Digit has begun to generate revenue, primarily for the handling of material and swing boxes. The company did not disclose the specific quantities produced or deployed, but external observers estimated that dozens of equipment had entered pilot or fee-paying projects.

Agility has also previously mentioned that Digit has moved 100,000 swing boxes within the logistics facilities of GXO. The CEO of the company, Peggy Johnson, stated to TechCrunch that commercialization had allowed teams to become more familiar with plant safety requirements, compliance processes and the interface with the enterprise IT and warehousing management systems.

New facilities targeting more clients

Johnson says that more than 30 clients are currently negotiating the deployment of Digit. The new facility will simulate the future of robots in the working environment after they enter the field, so that the human-shaped robot, about 6 feet high, can learn new skills closer to real-life conditions.

  • The new facility covers approximately 60,000 square feet.
  • Company claims to have received $300 million in contract orders
  • Over 30 clients are negotiating deployment of Digit

According to the company, this layout is intended to shorten the cycle of training to deployment and to expand its coverage in manufacturing and logistics. Agility does not currently target family robots in the near future, but rather continues to focus on relatively manageable scenes such as factories and warehouses.

Close competition with Tesla

Tesla has recently continued to add human robotics. Mask has recently indicated that once Optimus becomes practical outside the Tesla system next year, it could become the “largest product ever”. Against this background, the fact that Agility chose to expand in Frimont means that the competition between the two companies on the human robot track will be more direct.

However, the route of Agility is not the same as that of some new entrants. The co-founder of the company, Damion Shelton, states that the generated AI is suitable for robotic application extension, but that the control chain that concerns security should not be handed over to the generated AI. The company believes that, in order for robots to enter the real working environment, the security system still needs to be predictable and verifiable.

Additional information:Agility is now advancing reverse M&As with the goal of landing on the open market later this year and becoming a listed company in the direction of pure human robots.