Agility Robotics
"Bipedal humanoids for logistics."
The story
Agility Robotics, Inc. was formed in 2015 as a spin-off from Oregon State University's Dynamic Robotics Lab. Jonathan Hurst, who established the lab, laid the scientific groundwork for dynamic stability and locomotion in bipedal robots, a field where his lab was a pioneer in reproducing human-like walking dynamics. Hurst, alongside Damion Shelton and Mikhail Jones, co-founded Agility Robotics with this foundational research, aiming to bring advanced bipedal robotics to practical applications.
The company's first robot, Cassie, a bipedal research platform without an upper body or perception systems, was brought over from Oregon State and quickly gained recognition. Cassie was sold to various research labs and innovation departments starting in 2016, and notably, it set a Guinness World Record for the 100M run by a bipedal robot, showcasing the team's early success in developing highly capable and dynamic robotic systems.
In 2017, Agility Robotics introduced Digit, a more advanced humanoid robot equipped with a torso, arms, and a full perception system. Initially sold to academic and research institutions, Digit later found a significant application with Ford Motor Company, which acquired a version of the robot to explore last-mile delivery alongside autonomous vehicles. This marked a pivotal step for the company, demonstrating Digit's potential beyond pure research and into real-world commercial and logistical challenges.
Challenges along the way
One primary challenge for Agility Robotics, inherent in pioneering advanced bipedal and humanoid robotics, is the complex engineering required to achieve human-like dynamic stability and locomotion. Building upon early research platforms like Cassie, the transition to a fully functional humanoid robot like Digit, complete with perception systems and a torso, demanded significant technical innovation. Overcoming these hurdles to create a reliable and adaptable robot capable of performing diverse tasks in unstructured environments, and then scaling its production and deployment, represented a continuous and demanding engineering and operational effort.
Major milestones
- 2015Agility Robotics founded as a spin-off from Oregon State University's Dynamic Robotics Lab.
- 2015United States PatentFig. 25Bipedal locomotion filings (Digit)Assignee searchRead filing ↗
- 2016Initial sales of Cassie, a bipedal research robot, begin.
- 2017Introduced Digit, a full-size humanoid robot with a torso, arms, and full perception.
- 2022Cassie sets a Guinness World Record for 100M run by a bipedal robot.
- 2023Released the current version of Digit at ProMat and announced the RoboFab factory in Salem, Oregon.
- 2023Announced partnerships with Amazon and GXO Logistics to deploy Digit for warehouse and fulfillment tasks.
- 2024Agility and GXO announced the first humanoid Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) contract.
- 2026Agility Robotics announced a rebrand as Agility.
Prototypes & people
