# Agility Robotics

> Source: https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/agility_robotics
> Updated: 2026-06-23
> Categories: AI Companies, Humanoid Robots, Robotics
> From AI Wiki (https://aiwiki.ai), a free encyclopedia of artificial intelligence. Quote with attribution.

Agility Robotics (rebranded as **Agility** in March 2026) is an American [robotics](/wiki/robotics) company that designs and manufactures the Digit humanoid robot, the most widely deployed commercial humanoid in live warehouse and manufacturing operations as of 2026. Founded in 2015 as a spinout from Oregon State University's Dynamic Robotics Laboratory, Agility was the first company to put a humanoid robot to work under a commercial contract at a paying customer's site, beginning with [GXO Logistics](/wiki/gxo) in June 2024, where a single Digit unit moved more than 100,000 totes by November 2025.[^7][^8][25] The company designs and manufactures bipedal [humanoid robots](/wiki/humanoid_robots) for logistics and industrial applications, with hundreds of millions of dollars in total funding and partnerships with major corporations including [Amazon](/wiki/amazon), GXO Logistics, [Toyota](/wiki/toyota), Schaeffler, and Mercado Libre.[^1][^15]

As of 2025, Agility had raised roughly $640 million across all rounds, including a reported $400 million Series C in 2025 that valued the company at approximately $2.1 billion, making it one of the most valuable pure-play humanoid robotics companies in the world.[^19][^20][26] The company is headquartered in Corvallis, Oregon, with additional offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Palo Alto, California. Its manufacturing facility, RoboFab, is located in Salem, Oregon, and holds the distinction of being the world's first factory purpose-built for humanoid robot production, designed to scale to more than 10,000 robots per year.[^4][^17]

## What is Agility Robotics known for?

Agility Robotics is known for Digit, a 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) bipedal humanoid robot built for logistics and industrial work, and for being the first company to deploy a humanoid commercially at a customer site under a Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) model. Unlike most humanoid developers that remained in the prototype or demo stage through 2025, Agility has signed multi-year commercial contracts with Fortune 500 companies and has robots running full shifts in live operations. In November 2025, Agility reported that Digit had passed an OSHA-recognized Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) field inspection at a live e-commerce fulfillment site, which the company presents as the first such audit passed by a commercial humanoid at a deployed customer location.[^22][27]

## History

### Academic Origins

Agility Robotics traces its roots to research conducted at Oregon State University's Dynamic Robotics Laboratory, led by Professor Jonathan Hurst. Hurst and fellow co-founder Damion Shelton first met as Ph.D. students in robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. After completing his doctorate, Hurst joined Oregon State University as a professor and helped co-found the Oregon State University Robotics Institute. His research focused on the physics of legged locomotion and dynamic stability in bipedal systems.

The lab's earliest major project was ATRIAS, a bipedal research robot developed from roughly 2009 to 2016. ATRIAS was the first robot to reproduce human-like walking gait dynamics and to implement spring-mass walking. While ATRIAS was a scientific breakthrough, it was not a practical machine for applications beyond laboratory demonstrations. It had motors that worked against each other, making it inefficient, and it lacked the robustness needed for real-world use.

### Founding and Early Years (2015 to 2017)

In November 2015, Hurst, Shelton, and Mikhail Jones (a graduate student in Hurst's lab and lead developer of ATRIAS's control software) co-founded Agility Robotics to commercialize the bipedal locomotion technology developed at Oregon State. The company licensed the ATRIAS and Cassie technologies from the university.

Damion Shelton, who had pursued an entrepreneurial path after Carnegie Mellon and co-founded a 3D imaging startup, reconnected with Hurst when the research showed practical commercial applications. Shelton served as the company's first CEO. Jones brought deep expertise in control software, having written the systems that made ATRIAS walk.

The company raised a $792,000 seed round in October 2016, led by The Robotics Hub, to begin developing its first commercial product.

### Cassie: The First Commercial Robot (2017)

In 2017, Agility introduced Cassie, an ostrich-inspired bipedal robot with no upper body, arms, or perception systems. Cassie represented a major evolution from ATRIAS: it weighed half as much as its predecessor, fixed the inefficient motor configuration, and added steering, feet, and a sealed system suitable for outdoor use.

Cassie was sold as a research platform to academic labs and research institutions. The robot was developed with support from a 16-month, $1 million grant from the [Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency](/wiki/darpa) (DARPA). Though Cassie lacked manipulation capabilities, its dynamic walking ability on varied terrain made it an important testbed for bipedal locomotion research.

### Series A and Growth (2018 to 2020)

In March 2018, Agility raised an $8 million Series A round led by Playground Global. The funding enabled the company to expand its engineering team and begin developing a full humanoid robot.

In 2019, Agility introduced the first version of Digit, a full-size humanoid robot that added a torso, arms, and an integrated perception system to Cassie's proven leg platform. Digit was initially sold to academic labs and research institutes.

In January 2020, the company announced a partnership with Ford Motor Company to explore last-mile autonomous delivery. The concept paired Ford's autonomous vehicle technology with Digit: a self-driving van would carry packages to a neighborhood, and Digit would walk the final stretch to the customer's doorstep, navigating sidewalks, grass, stairs, and other obstacles. Ford became the first customer for Digit, receiving the first two production units off the line. Digit's design allowed it to fold itself compactly for storage in the back of a vehicle.[^14]

Also in October 2020, Agility raised an $11.75 million extension round with participation from DCVC, Playground Global, Safar Partners, Sony Innovation Fund, TDK Ventures, and others.

### Series B and Amazon Investment (2022)

On April 22, 2022, Agility announced a $150 million Series B funding round, co-led by DCVC and Playground Global. The round included participation from the newly announced Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund (a $1 billion venture fund that Amazon created to invest in startups building customer fulfillment, logistics, and supply chain technologies). Previous investors MFV Partners, ITIC, Robotics Hub, Safar Partners, Sony Innovation Fund, and TDK Ventures also participated.[^1]

The Series B capital was directed toward accelerating research and development, scaling robot production, and expanding the company's operations. Agility opened a new office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to tap into the city's deep talent pool in [artificial intelligence](/wiki/artificial_intelligence) and robotics, while also expanding its primary Oregon facilities and Palo Alto operations.

### Leadership Transition (2024)

On March 4, 2024, Agility appointed veteran technology executive Peggy Johnson as Chief Executive Officer. Co-founder Damion Shelton transitioned to the role of President. Johnson had most recently served as CEO of spatial computing company Magic Leap, where she led a successful pivot from consumer to enterprise products and launched Magic Leap 2. Before Magic Leap, Johnson held senior leadership positions at Microsoft and Qualcomm, giving her extensive experience in scaling technology businesses.[^5]

In December 2024, Shelton shifted to the role of Chief Engagement Officer, taking responsibility for commercial and investor engagements. Jonathan Hurst continues to serve as Chief Robot Officer, focusing on the company's long-term technology vision.

### Layoffs and Restructuring (April 2024)

In April 2024, Agility laid off approximately 150 employees, representing roughly 20% of its workforce. The company described the restructuring as a shift toward commercialization, parting ways with employees whose roles were not central to core product development and the company's go-to-market strategy.[^13] As of late 2025, the company employed approximately 294 people.

### Series C and Rebrand (2025 to 2026)

In 2025, Agility raised a Series C funding round of approximately $400 million. Multiple press reports indicate the round was led by WP Global, with participation from SoftBank Group and the Schaeffler Group, valuing the company in the range of $1.75 billion to $2.12 billion pre-money. Exact terms and the lead investor were not disclosed in an official Agility press release.[^19][^20]

On March 5, 2026, the company officially rebranded from "Agility Robotics" to "Agility," dropping "Robotics" from its name. The company explained that the new name reflected its evolving scope, allowing room to expand into new use cases, services, and industries beyond its original robotics focus. "With our rebrand to Agility, we're signaling our readiness to scale beyond our current deployments and our ability to lead the adoption of humanoids across many new industries," said Daniel Diez, the company's Chief Business Officer.[^12][28] The rebrand included a refreshed logo and verbal identity built around five themes (Movement, Service, Lineage, Capacity, and Potential) and emphasized practical, real-world depictions of the technology rather than idealized prototype imagery.[^12][^21]

## Cassie

Cassie is a bipedal research robot that served as Agility's first commercial product and the direct predecessor to Digit. Inspired by the biomechanics of ostriches and other ground-running birds, Cassie features digitigrade (bird-like) legs with reverse-bending knees that provide efficient and stable locomotion.

### Design and Capabilities

Cassie consists of a lower body only, with two legs and no upper torso, arms, or head. The robot's leg design uses compliant elements (springs) that store and release energy during walking and running, mimicking the spring-mass dynamics observed in biological bipedal locomotion. This approach, developed through the ATRIAS research, allows Cassie to maintain balance dynamically rather than through careful static positioning.

The robot can walk on flat ground, rough terrain, grass, gravel, and slopes. It can handle disturbances like pushes and uneven surfaces without falling. Cassie was one of the first robots to use [reinforcement learning](/wiki/reinforcement_learning) to control a running gait on outdoor terrain.

### Record-Setting Achievements

Cassie achieved two notable milestones in bipedal robot locomotion:

| Achievement | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 5K Run | July 2021 | Completed 5 kilometers on Oregon State's campus in 53 minutes and 3 seconds. The run was completed untethered and on a single battery charge. Total time included about 6.5 minutes of resets following two falls (one from an overheated computer, one from an overly fast turn).[^2] |
| Guinness World Record: 100m Sprint | May 11, 2022 | Ran 100 meters in 24.73 seconds at OSU's Whyte Track and Field Center, earning the Guinness World Record for fastest 100 meters by a bipedal robot. Cassie started from a standing position and returned to standing after the sprint with no falls.[^3][^18] |

Both achievements relied on [neural networks](/wiki/neural_network) trained through reinforcement learning in simulation, with the 100-meter sprint controlled by a neural network trained for approximately one year of simulated time (compressed to about one week of real computation).

## Digit

Digit is Agility's flagship humanoid robot, designed for commercial logistics and industrial automation. Building on Cassie's proven bipedal platform, Digit adds a torso, arms, a head with perception sensors, and manipulation capabilities, making it a complete humanoid system capable of navigating human environments and handling physical objects.

### Versions

Digit has gone through several iterations since its introduction:

| Version | Year | Key Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Digit v1 | 2019 | First full humanoid version; added torso, arms, and basic perception to the Cassie leg platform |
| Digit v2 | 2020 | Improved manipulation; partnered with Ford for delivery research |
| Digit v3 | 2022 | Enhanced sensors and control systems |
| Digit v4 | 2023 | Commercial model; redesigned for warehouse logistics with improved hands, sensors, and safety features |
| Digit v5 | 2025 to 2026 | Increased payload (up to 50 lb), longer battery life, enhanced manipulation, prepared for cooperatively safe operation alongside humans |

### Specifications (Digit v4)

The following table summarizes the key specifications of the commercially deployed Digit v4:

| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) |
| Weight | 65 kg (143 lbs) |
| Payload Capacity | 16 kg (35 lbs) |
| Walking Speed | 5 km/h (3.1 mph) |
| Continuous Runtime | Up to 4 hours |
| Work-to-Charge Ratio | 4:1 (4 minutes of work per 1 minute of charging) |
| Sensors | [LiDAR](/wiki/lidar), four Intel RealSense depth cameras, MEMS IMU |
| Arm Degrees of Freedom | 4 DOF per arm |
| Hands | Fourth-generation end effectors with 16 DOF |
| Navigation | Autonomous obstacle detection, footstep planning, stair climbing |
| Self-Docking | Autonomous battery charging |

### Capabilities

Digit walks upright on two legs, allowing it to navigate the same spaces designed for human workers: narrow aisles, doorways, ramps, and stairs. Its bird-like leg design provides stability on uneven surfaces and the ability to step over small obstacles.

The robot's manipulation system enables it to pick up, carry, place, and stack totes and packages. Digit can perform a variety of warehouse tasks:

- Picking and placing totes on and off conveyors
- Loading and unloading autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)
- Stacking and unstacking containers
- Palletizing and depalletizing
- Flowrack and cart operations
- Automated putwall sorting
- Goods-to-person and unit sorter workflows

Digit uses its LiDAR and depth cameras to build maps of its environment, detect obstacles, and plan paths through warehouse spaces. The robot can operate autonomously, receiving task assignments through the Agility Arc cloud platform.

### Safety and OSHA Certification

The latest versions of Digit include several industrial safety features:

- Category 1 (CAT1) stop capability
- Safety PLC (programmable logic controller)
- On-robot emergency stop button
- Wireless teach pendant with integrated emergency stop
- Functional Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE)

In November 2025, Agility announced that Digit had passed an OSHA-recognized Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) field inspection at a live e-commerce customer fulfillment site. According to Agility, the audit covered standards including ANSI/RIA R15.08 for industrial mobile robots, ISO 13849 for the safety of machinery control systems, and ISO 12100 for risk assessment. Agility presents this as the first time a commercial humanoid has passed such an audit at a deployed customer site. The certification is site-specific to the audited configuration, but is intended to serve as a template for future deployments.[^22][27]

Agility has indicated plans to achieve broader ISO functional safety certification that would allow Digit to work in direct proximity to human workers without segregated zones. CEO Peggy Johnson has cited a target window of mid-to-late 2026 for this cooperatively safe operation. To reach this goal, Agility became the first company to integrate elements of [NVIDIA Halos](/wiki/nvidia_halos) for Robotics into Digit's proprietary safety system (see below).[^29]

## RoboFab

RoboFab is Agility's robot manufacturing facility, located at 4698 Truax Drive S.E. in Salem, Oregon, approximately 30 miles from the company's engineering center in Corvallis. Announced in September 2023 and opened in late 2023, RoboFab is widely recognized as the world's first factory purpose-built for humanoid robot production.[^4][^17]

### Facility Details

The facility occupies 70,000 square feet and is designed as a capital-expenditure-light assembly facility. This means it does not rely on heavy machinery or costly industrial equipment. Instead, the assembly line is divided into work cells for the major sub-assemblies (legs, arms, torsos, and actuators), each designed to produce its component in roughly the same amount of time. An entire robot comes together simultaneously before moving on to final testing.

### Production Capacity

Agility anticipated producing hundreds of Digit robots in RoboFab's first year of operation, with the capability to scale to more than 10,000 robots per year at full capacity. At maximum output, RoboFab is expected to employ more than 500 workers in Salem, in addition to employees at Agility's other locations.

The proximity of RoboFab to Agility's engineering center enables rapid iteration between design changes and production, a deliberate choice that supports the company's strategy of continuous improvement on the Digit platform.

## Agility Arc

Agility Arc is the company's cloud-based automation platform for deploying, managing, and monitoring fleets of Digit robots. The platform was publicly launched at the MODEX trade show on March 11, 2024.[^9]

### Features

Arc serves as a centralized command center for Digit fleets, providing:

| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Real-Time Fleet Management | Monitor robot status, location, and health across an entire fleet |
| Productivity Tracking | Track KPIs including uptime, throughput, and Mean Time Between Incidents (MTBI) |
| Task Assignment | Manage and optimize task assignments across multiple robots |
| Workflow Optimization | Coordinate tasks between Digit units and other warehouse automation systems |
| System Integration | Industry-standard APIs for integration with Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Warehouse Execution Systems (WES), and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) |
| AMR Integration | Connects Digit with leading AMR platforms from companies such as MiR and Zebra Robotics |

### Delivery Model

Agility Arc is delivered as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product, receiving continuous updates that enhance functionality, security, and usability. The platform is a core component of Agility's Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) offering, bundled together with hardware, maintenance, and support.

## Commercial Deployments and Partnerships

Agility has established partnerships with several major corporations across logistics, manufacturing, and technology.

### Amazon

[Amazon](/wiki/amazon) has been one of Agility's most significant partners. The relationship began with Amazon's participation in the 2022 Series B funding round through the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund. In October 2023, Amazon announced it would begin testing Digit in its fulfillment centers. The initial application focused on tote recycling, a highly repetitive task that involves picking up and moving empty totes after inventory has been fully picked from them.[^6]

Digit robots were tested at Amazon's facility in Sumner, Washington, with additional pilot deployments reported in Texas facilities. Reports indicate Digit achieved a 98% task success rate during testing.

### GXO Logistics

In June 2024, GXO Logistics signed a multi-year agreement with Agility to deploy Digit, which Agility and GXO describe as the industry's first formal commercial deployment of humanoid robots and the first Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) deployment of humanoid robots. The deployment took place at a Spanx facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, operated by GXO.[^7]

Digit robots at the GXO site handle tasks including moving totes from cobots, placing them onto conveyors, and stacking containers at various floor locations. All operations are orchestrated through the Agility Arc platform. On November 20, 2025, Agility announced that Digit had moved over 100,000 totes at the GXO facility, a milestone demonstrating the reliability and endurance of the system in a live commercial environment and one of the first quantified throughput benchmarks for a humanoid robot in logistics.[^8][25]

### Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada

On February 19, 2026, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) announced a commercial agreement with Agility following a year-long pilot program. Under the RaaS model, TMMC will deploy seven Digit robots at its assembly operations in Ontario, where they will service automated tuggers (removing empty totes of automotive parts and reloading full ones) to feed parts to the RAV4 production line. The deployment is described as the first commercial humanoid robot deployment in Canadian automotive production.[^11]

### Mercado Libre

On December 10, 2025, Latin American e-commerce company Mercado Libre and Agility announced a commercial agreement to deploy Digit at Mercado Libre's fulfillment facility in San Antonio, Texas. Digit will initially focus on commerce fulfillment tasks, with both companies stating they plan to explore additional use cases across Mercado Libre's broader warehouse network in Latin America. The deal is operated under the RaaS model.[^23]

### Schaeffler Group

In November 2024, Schaeffler AG, a global motion technology company, announced a minority investment in Agility and an agreement to purchase Digit robots for use across its global plant network. Schaeffler operates approximately 100 manufacturing plants worldwide and has stated it sees potential for significant humanoid deployment across that network by 2030. As of early 2026, Digit is working at a Schaeffler manufacturing site in South Carolina.[^10]

### Ford Motor Company

Ford was Digit's first commercial customer in 2020, receiving two production units for research into last-mile autonomous delivery. The partnership explored combining self-driving vehicles with bipedal robots for package delivery, though this particular use case did not advance to large-scale deployment as both companies shifted their strategic priorities.[^14]

### Additional Partners

Agility has also partnered with Ricoh USA (for installation and support services, announced September 2024), Zion Solutions (for systems integration, announced May 2024), and [NVIDIA](/wiki/nvidia) (for simulation, training, and digital-twin development using [Isaac Sim](/wiki/nvidia_isaac_sim) and [Isaac Lab](/wiki/isaac_lab)).[^24]

## NVIDIA Halos for Robotics partnership

On June 22, 2026, NVIDIA announced Halos for Robotics, which it described as the industry's first full-stack functional safety system for [physical AI](/wiki/physical_ai), and named Agility as the first company to incorporate elements of the platform into its own safety system.[^29][^30] Agility is integrating the [NVIDIA](/wiki/nvidia) IGX Thor compute module along with Halos Core and Halos OS into the proprietary safe human detection system of its [Digit](/wiki/agility_robotics_digit) humanoid robot, which works for industrial customers in logistics, manufacturing, and warehousing including Amazon, GXO, Schaeffler, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.[^29][^30]

The adoption supports Agility's roadmap toward a "cooperatively safe" fifth-generation Digit that can operate in shared spaces alongside human workers without physical barriers or segregated zones. Running on NVIDIA IGX Thor, the system is intended to let Digit dynamically interpret and react to human presence in real time, and Agility targets late 2026 to deploy this fenceless configuration. The fifth-generation robot is also being designed with a 50-pound lift capacity aligned with OSHA manual lifting recommendations.[^29][^30]

"Partnering with NVIDIA to implement and optimize the Halos for Robotics system extends our leadership in responsible automation, which is a nonnegotiable requirement for bringing humanoids safely into industrial workflows," said CEO Peggy Johnson.[^30]

As part of the partnership, Agility will also participate in the NVIDIA Halos AI Systems Inspection Lab, described by NVIDIA as the world's first ANSI-accredited program for assessing functional and AI safety in physical AI systems. Through the lab, Agility and NVIDIA aim to validate that Digit's safety-related software, AI components, and cybersecurity protections meet recognized functional safety standards such as IEC 61508, ISO 13849, and ISO/IEC TR 5469 ahead of third-party certification by bodies including TUV Rheinland, UL Solutions, and TUV SUD.[^29][^30] This functional-safety effort builds on Digit's existing safety credentials, including its 2025 OSHA-recognized NRTL field inspection at a live customer site.[^22]

## Business Model

Agility employs a dual business model combining direct robot sales with a Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) subscription approach. The RaaS model has emerged as the primary go-to-market strategy.

### How much does a Digit robot cost?

The estimated purchase price for a Digit unit ranges from approximately $150,000 to $250,000, depending on configuration and integration support. Under the RaaS model, Agility bundles the robot hardware, Agility Arc software, ongoing maintenance, and technical support into a monthly subscription fee.

Agility CEO Peggy Johnson has stated that the company currently charges approximately $30 per hour for Digit under RaaS agreements. The robot's underlying operating cost is estimated at $10 to $12 per hour, with the potential to drop to $2 to $3 per hour as production scales. Agility targets an under-two-year return on investment for customers, benchmarked against a fully loaded human worker cost of $30 per hour.

### Target Markets

Agility's initial focus is on logistics and warehouse operations, where labor shortages and physically demanding, repetitive tasks create strong demand for automation. The company is expanding into manufacturing (as demonstrated by the Toyota and Schaeffler partnerships) and into broader e-commerce fulfillment (Amazon, Mercado Libre). The 2026 rebrand signals broader long-term ambitions beyond traditional logistics.

## Funding History

The following table summarizes Agility's known funding rounds:

| Round | Date | Amount | Lead Investors | Notable Participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | October 2016 | $792,000 | The Robotics Hub | - |
| Series A | March 2018 | $8 million | Playground Global | - |
| Series A Extension | October 2020 | $11.75 million | Multiple | DCVC, Playground Global, Safar Partners, Sony Innovation Fund, TDK Ventures |
| Series B | April 2022 | $150 million | DCVC, Playground Global | Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, MFV Partners, ITIC, Robotics Hub, Safar Partners, Sony Innovation Fund, TDK Ventures |
| Series C | 2025 | ~$400 million (reported) | WP Global (reported) | SoftBank Group, Schaeffler Group |

Cumulative reported funding is in the range of $550 million to $680 million, with third-party trackers placing the total at roughly $640 million as of 2025. The Series C round terms were not fully disclosed by Agility.[^19][^20][26]

## Competitive Landscape

Agility operates in the rapidly growing humanoid robotics market alongside several well-funded competitors:

| Company | Robot | Key Differentiator |
|---|---|---|
| Agility (Agility Robotics) | [Digit](/wiki/agility_robotics_digit) | Logistics-first design; multiple commercial deployments; OSHA-recognized safety audit at a customer site; in-house mass-production facility (RoboFab) |
| [Tesla](/wiki/tesla) | [Optimus](/wiki/tesla_optimus) | Leverages Tesla's AI and manufacturing scale; targeting mass production at low unit costs |
| [Boston Dynamics](/wiki/boston_dynamics) | [Atlas](/wiki/atlas_robot) | Fully electric production version; high degree-of-freedom design; backed by Hyundai |
| [Figure AI](/wiki/figure_ai) | Figure 02 | Integrates [large language models](/wiki/large_language_model) for interaction; commercial pilots in progress |
| [Apptronik](/wiki/apptronik) | [Apollo](/wiki/apptronik_apollo) | Human-scale humanoid designed for manufacturing; partnerships with NASA and Mercedes-Benz |
| [Unitree Robotics](/wiki/unitree) | [H1](/wiki/unitree_h1) | Chinese manufacturer; lower-cost humanoid platform targeting research and light industrial use |
| [1X Technologies](/wiki/1x_technologies) | [NEO](/wiki/1x_technologies_neo) | Norwegian company backed by [OpenAI](/wiki/openai); focused on safe, human-friendly robots for home and workplace |

### How does Agility compare to Tesla, Figure, and Boston Dynamics?

Agility's primary competitive advantage lies in its commercial deployment track record. While many humanoid robot companies remain in the prototype or pilot phase, Agility has signed multi-year commercial contracts with Fortune 500 companies and has robots working full shifts in live operations. Its RoboFab manufacturing facility also gives it production scaling capability that most competitors lack.

The competitive landscape, however, is intensifying. Tesla's manufacturing expertise and aggressive pricing targets for Optimus could reshape the market. Boston Dynamics' electric Atlas brings decades of locomotion research and Hyundai's industrial backing. Figure AI's large fundraising rounds give it substantial resources for rapid development.

## Technology

### Locomotion

Agility's core technical competency is bipedal locomotion based on spring-mass dynamics. Rather than using the slow, deliberate movements of traditional humanoid robots, Agility's robots walk using dynamic balance, continuously making small adjustments to remain upright while in motion. This approach, grounded in over a decade of research at Oregon State University, allows Digit to walk efficiently on varied surfaces, handle disturbances, and navigate environments designed for humans.

### Whole-Body Control Foundation Model

Working with [NVIDIA](/wiki/nvidia), Agility has developed a whole-body control "foundation model" that serves as the low-level controller for Digit. The model is a compact LSTM-based neural network with fewer than one million parameters that maps high-level task commands and proprioceptive state to joint-level actions. The policy is trained over the equivalent of decades of simulated experience in [NVIDIA Isaac Sim](/wiki/nvidia_isaac_sim) and [Isaac Lab](/wiki/isaac_lab), then deployed to the physical robot using sim-to-real transfer. Agility describes the model as a "motor cortex" that ensures stable performance across diverse manipulation and locomotion tasks.[^24]

### Machine Learning

Agility uses [machine learning](/wiki/machine_learning) extensively across its platform. Reinforcement learning trained in simulation is used to develop locomotion policies that transfer to the physical robot. This sim-to-real approach was demonstrated dramatically in Cassie's 5K run and 100-meter sprint, where the robot's running gaits were learned entirely through simulated training.

For Digit, machine learning plays a role in perception (recognizing and localizing objects), manipulation (grasping and placing items), and navigation (path planning through cluttered environments).

### Digital Twins

Agility uses [digital twin](/wiki/digital_twin) simulations of customer warehouse environments to test and refine Digit's behaviors virtually before deploying updates to physical robots, reducing risk and accelerating development cycles. These simulations are built on NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Isaac Lab.

## Leadership

As of early 2026, Agility's leadership team includes:

| Name | Title | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Peggy Johnson | Chief Executive Officer | Former CEO of Magic Leap; former EVP at Microsoft; former SVP at Qualcomm |
| Damion Shelton | Chief Engagement Officer, Co-Founder, Chairman | Co-founded Agility in 2015; served as CEO from founding until March 2024 |
| Jonathan Hurst | Chief Robot Officer, Co-Founder | Professor at Oregon State University; director of the Dynamic Robotics Laboratory; over two decades of bipedal locomotion research |
| Mikhail Jones | VP of Software Engineering, Co-Founder | OSU graduate; lead developer of ATRIAS and Cassie control software |
| Melonee Wise | Chief Technology Officer | Robotics pioneer; appointed CTO in 2025 |

## Locations

| Location | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Corvallis, Oregon | Engineering headquarters; proximity to Oregon State University's Dynamic Robotics Lab |
| Salem, Oregon | RoboFab manufacturing facility (70,000 sq ft) |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | AI and robotics talent hub; engineering office |
| Palo Alto, California | Silicon Valley presence for commercial outreach and partnerships |

## See Also

- [Humanoid Robots](/wiki/humanoid_robots)
- [Robotics](/wiki/robotics)
- [Boston Dynamics](/wiki/boston_dynamics)
- [Reinforcement Learning](/wiki/reinforcement_learning)
- [Warehouse robot](/wiki/warehouse_robot)
- [NVIDIA Isaac Sim](/wiki/nvidia_isaac_sim)
- [Apptronik](/wiki/apptronik)
- [1X Technologies](/wiki/1x_technologies)

## References

[^1]: "Agility Robotics Raises $150M Series B Led By DCVC and Playground Global." Agility Robotics, April 22, 2022. https://www.agilityrobotics.com/content/agility-robotics-raises-150m-series-b-led-by-dcvc-and-playground-global
[^2]: "Bipedal robot developed at Oregon State makes history by learning to run, completing 5K." Oregon State University Newsroom, July 2021. https://news.oregonstate.edu/news/bipedal-robot-developed-oregon-state-makes-history-learning-run-completing-5k
[^3]: "Bipedal robot developed at Oregon State achieves Guinness World Record in 100 meters." Oregon State University Newsroom, 2022. https://news.oregonstate.edu/news/bipedal-robot-developed-oregon-state-achieves-guinness-world-record-100-meters
[^4]: "Opening RoboFab: World's First Factory for Humanoid Robots." Agility Robotics, September 2023. https://www.agilityrobotics.com/content/opening-robofab-worlds-first-factory-for-humanoid-robots
[^5]: "Agility Robotics Appoints Peggy Johnson as Chief Executive Officer." Agility Robotics, March 4, 2024. https://www.agilityrobotics.com/content/agility-robotics-appoints-peggy-johnson-as-chief-executive-officer
[^6]: "Amazon begins testing Agility's Digit robot for warehouse work." TechCrunch, October 18, 2023. https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/18/amazon-begins-testing-agilitys-digit-robot-for-warehouse-work/
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