SUMMARYAgility Robotics has unveiled Digit 5, a humanoid robot designed to work safely alongside people in warehouses and automotive factories. The robot can detect nearby humans and adjust its behavior by stopping, moving aside, or squatting into a seated position to avoid contact. The safety system is intended to reduce the need for isolation barriers and expand practical deployment in shared workspaces.
Agility Robotics has debuted its first humanoid robot engineered to work safely near humans without risking harm to flesh-and-blood coworkers. Such safety features could unlock many more opportunities to use such robots inside warehouses and automotive factories—all without requiring isolated robot work cells and physical separation barriers.
When Agility’s new Digit 5 robot detects a person at a distance, it can autonomously take precautions, like moving to avoid the person or standing still so the person can pass by without getting closer. If a person is getting into close proximity with Digit 5, the robot can even choose to squat and assume a seated position.
“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,” Pras Velagapudi, chief technology officer at Agility, told Ars.