Agility's Digit 5 squats and stops to work safely alongside human workers

Agility Robotics has unveiled Digit 5, a humanoid robot designed to operate in close quarters with people while minimizing injury risk. The breakthrough is significant because it enables deployment in shared workspaces rather than isolated, barriered robot zones—potentially opening doors to broader adoption across warehouses and manufacturing plants.

How the safety system works#

The Digit 5 uses a sophisticated motion safety framework to respond to human proximity. When the robot senses a person at a distance, it can autonomously relocate or pause to let the person pass safely. At closer range, the robot has another option: it can lower itself into a squat position, effectively reducing its physical footprint and potential impact force.

"The robot was designed with a complex safe motion system that can take a variety of different mitigations depending on exactly what sort of human presence is detected," according to Pras Velagapudi, Agility's chief technology officer.

Timeline and production#

Early customers will gain access to the Digit 5 during the first half of 2027, with broader market availability expected by year's end. Agility is retrofitting its manufacturing facility in Salem, Oregon to produce the new model.

From pilot to deployment#

Agility has prioritized safety from the start, and that focus is paying off. The company made history in 2024 by placing the first humanoid robots in full-time commercial work at a GXO warehouse in Atlanta. Since then, earlier generations of Digit have accumulated over 65,000 operating hours across North American warehouses and factories. Early adopters include GXO, Schaeffler, Amazon, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.