Agility Robotics is set to open the world’s first factory for humanoid robots called RoboFab in Salem, Oregon. The 70,000-square-foot facility is expected to start operations later this year and will provide employment opportunities for over 500 people. Agility Robotics plans to produce hundreds of their humanoid robots, known as Digit, in their first year of operation, with the potential to manufacture up to 10,000 robots annually in the future.

Digit is designed to mimic human workflows, making it suitable for collaboration with humans in manufacturing facilities and distribution centers. With two arms, two legs, and claw-like hands, these robots are capable of walking across various terrains, crouching or squatting, rotating their upper bodies, picking up and placing objects, stepping up and down, and maintaining balance even if bumped into.

The motivation behind creating these humanoid robots is to address challenges faced by the current human workforce, including injuries, burnout, high turnover, and labor gaps that are difficult to fill. Damion Shelton, Agility Robotics’ co-founder and CEO, stated that their ultimate vision is to enable humans to reclaim their humanity through the adoption of robots like Digit.

Although Agility Robotics faces competition from other companies in the realm of manufacturing humanoid robots, they have gained an edge over potential rivals like Tesla. The development of these robots marks a significant milestone in the robotics industry and opens up possibilities for revolutionizing work environments and augmenting human capabilities.

Overall, the establishment of the RoboFab factory by Agility Robotics represents a step forward in the integration of humanoid robots into various industries, offering potential solutions to current workforce problems and opening up avenues for enhanced collaboration between humans and robots.

Sources:
– Agility Robotics
– CNBC