The minds behind Digit, a humanoid robot with expressive eyes, are introducing RoboFab, the world’s inaugural humanoid robot factory, located in Salem, Oregon.
Agility Robotics made the announcement on Monday, revealing plans to produce an impressive 10,000 robots annually at the 70,000-square-foot RoboFab facility. Construction commenced last year and is anticipated to conclude by late 2023.
Revolutionizing Humanoid Robot Manufacturing
This foray into manufacturing advanced robots for public consumption represents a significant evolution in the robotics industry, which traditionally limited access to high-end tech to businesses and government agencies.
Damion Shelton, Agility Robotics’ co-founder and CEO, highlighted the opening of this pioneering factory as a pivotal moment in the history of robotics. It signifies the dawn of mass production of commercial humanoid bots, a move aimed at addressing challenges prevalent in today’s workforce, such as injuries, burnout, high turnover, and labor gaps that are difficult to fill.
Digit, designed for application in warehouses and industrial settings, has been described as human-centric and multi-purpose. It is envisioned to undertake strenuous and perilous tasks, including moving heavy materials, thereby mitigating injuries often incurred by human workers.
Digit’s Current Capabilities and Ambitions
In the words of Shelton, With logistics labor issues such as high turnover, burnout, and injury continuing to rise, we believe Digit to be the future of work.
Although Digit currently performs simpler tasks like lifting and placing objects, walking, and crouching, its ambitions are vast. The advanced version, released in March of this year, now features a head and expressive animated LED eyes.
Once fully operational, the RoboFab factory will employ 500 human workers working alongside Digit robots to manufacture more robots.
The initial production capacity is expected to reach hundreds of Digit robots in the first year, with the potential to scale up to a staggering 10,000 robots annually.
Anticipated to hit the market in 2025, customers in the Agility Partner Program can expect to receive their first Digit robots in 2024, heralding a future where humanoid robots become a tangible reality in the public domain, enhancing efficiency and safety in various industries.
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