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The Robotics Group (TRG) are leading manufacturers, integrators, consultants, and component suppliers of robotic solutions designed specifically for warehousing and distribution applications. Traditionally, industrial robots in material handling applications have been limited to palletizing/depalletizing, conveyor picking, or other highly-repetitive tasks. Technology advancements are creating opportunities for robots and automated machinery in a wider variety of applications, including warehousing and distribution center activities. TRG conducts education and outreach with the goal of fostering technology adoption in this rapidly changing industry sector. Mission Our team of technology leaders inspires user confidence and fosters the adoption of robotic solutions to drive efficiency in supply chain applications. TRG member companies meet regularly to identify methods of promoting adoption of robotic and automated solutions in material handling applications. We identify barriers to adoption and understand the voice of the customer while creating opportunities to encourage the transition of automated technologies to promote supply chain efficiency. TRG programs include: The development of educational and training materials; A voice in the development and maintenance of national and international standards; The communication of the benefits of robotic and automated solutions via trade shows, educational forums, and other national and regional seminars.
Company Continues to Advance Collaborative Safety for Commercial Humanoid RobotsSALEM, Ore. – March 31, 2025 – Agility Robotics, creator of the humanoid robot Digit, has unveiled new capabilities and advancements that expand the work Digit is able to perform for Agility’s growing customer base. These innovations were unveiled recently at the manufacturing and supply chain industry’s premier global event, ProMat.Designed in close collaboration with customers, these new features support the rapid and scaled deployment of Digit fleets, and include: Expanded battery capabilities which run more efficiently and last up to four hours Autonomous docking onto charging station Streamlined manufacturing of Digit Additional safety features such as a Category 1 (CAT1) stop, a Safety PLC, an on-robot E-stop, wireless teach pendant with integrated E-stop, and Functional Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE) New robust limbs and end effectors, giving Digit a wider range of grasping angles and unlocking new use cases with expanded possibilities for manipulation“These upgrades allow Agility to expand Digit’s capabilities to meet our expanding commercial and customer needs,” according to Melonee Wise, Chief Product Officer at Agility Robotics. “Together, they reinforce our commitment to cooperative safety, and demonstrate a path for Digit and human colleagues to one day work side by side.”The path to widespread adoption for humanoids is paved by real-world deployments. Agility Robotics leads the industry with the first and only commercially-deployed humanoid in warehouses and manufacturing facilities. This unique position allows Agility to collaborate closely with customers – testing, deploying, building skills, and measuring the true value of these robots in real-world applications.AMR IntegrationHumanoid robots should be designed to work alongside Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), not replace them, and Digit is no exception. Humanoids and AMRs have complementary strengths. Humanoids excel at complex manipulation, grasping, and navigating human-centric spaces, while AMRs are masters of efficient transportation over longer distances. Digit can autonomously dispatch an AMR to deliver items to their next location, such as packout stations. This level of autonomy reduces the need for constant human intervention, allowing workers to focus on more complex tasks. It further maximizes the efficiency of people, existing automation as well as the fleet of humanoids.As warehouse technology has evolved, AMRs have become one of the fastest adopted automation systems in warehouse and manufacturing facilities, but have created islands of automation. The ability for humanoids to integrate with other systems becomes more critical than ever. Digit, the industry’s only commercially deployed humanoid, now is successfully working with leading AMR companies.Agility’s Arc cloud robotic platform now can deploy and talk with AMRs and their corresponding platforms by calling and dispatching AMRs to the task at hand. Digit already has been working alongside AMRs at the Digit deployment for GXO near Atlanta, Georgia. Agility's integration with AMRs from MiR and Zebra Technologies was on full display at the ProMat trade show in Chicago, Illinois earlier in March.SafetyStandards exist for machine and robot safety, but safety standards for Dynamically Stable Industrial Mobile Robots such as Digit that require stability and balancing are in the development stage. Agility is committed to pushing the industry forward with cooperative safety applications to meet the standards of OSHA-regulated environments necessary for humanoids to work alongside humans. Digit’s latest version has new safety features that adhere to safety standards for industrial mobile robots, and represent a significant advancement toward deploying cooperative safety applications. Digit's enhanced user interface now features at-a-glance, front and back displays that help monitor Wi-Fi status, connectivity, connection to Agility Arc, battery levels and maintenance ports, making it easier than ever to monitor and manage the robot. New safety features including: A Category 1, or CAT1 stop, involves maintaining power to the machine actuators during the deceleration process, allowing the machine to stop smoothly and safely, before removing power. Safety PLC, also known as a safety programmable logic controller, is used on robots to provide safety functions that meet performance level d (PLd). An E-stop (emergency stop) button on a robot is a safety feature designed to immediately halt all robot movements and operations in case of an emergency. Its main purposes include preventing accidents, ensuring worker safety, complying with safety regulations, protecting equipment, providing quick response control, and more FSoE (FailSafe over EtherCAT) is a safety protocol used in robotics and industrial automation to ensure safe communication between devices over an EtherCAT network. It enables the transmission of safety-critical data, such as emergency stop signals and sensor feedback, while also maintaining real-time performance. Commitment to safety and step towards a cooperatively safe humanoid applications with additional and continued compliance with multiple standardsAgility ArcAgility Arc is the cloud-based automation platform that gives customers complete control of their fleet of robots and equipment by deploying and fully integrating a wide range of automated workflows into their logistics and manufacturing operations. Agility Arc is the first humanoid fleet management system to successfully integrate and deploy humanoid robots in a commercial environment. One of the newest and most exciting features is integration with AMRs. Digit now successfully integrates with industry-leading AMR companies such as MiR and Zebra Robotics, allowing customers to use Agility Arc to deploy and talk with AMRs and their corresponding platforms. Other new Agility Arc features include: Digit support Charger support Workcell EMS support Easy webhook integration Remote monitor, support, and maintenance of Digit and all accessories Continued and expanded Enterprise Systems Integration (MES, WMS, WES, PLC)New Use CasesOn the ProMat show floor, Digit also demonstrated new use cases – including those integrated with AMRs – such as stacking and unstacking of totes, G2P or Unit Sorter, AMR loading and unloading, palletizing and depalletizing, nesting, flowrack and carts, and automated putwall.About Agility RoboticsHeadquartered in Salem, Oregon, with offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Palo Alto, California, Agility Robotics’ mission is to build robot partners that augment the human workforce, ultimately enabling humans to be more human. Agility’s groundbreaking bipedal Mobile Manipulation Robot (MMR) Digit is the first multi-purpose, human-centric robot that is made for work™.ContactTim SmithElement Public Relations415-350-3019media@agilityrobotics.com
GREENWICH, Conn., June 27, 2024 — GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: GXO), one of the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, and Agility Robotics, creator of the leading bipedal Mobile Manipulation Robot (MMR) Digit?, announced today that they have signed a multi-year agreement to begin deploying Digit in GXO’s logistics operations. This agreement, which follows a proof-of-concept pilot in late 2023, is both the industry’s first formal commercial deployment of humanoid robots and first Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) deployment of humanoid robots. “We’re building on the success of last year’s groundbreaking pilot with Agility by deploying fully operational Digit humanoids into a live warehouse environment,” said Adrian Stoch, Chief Automation Officer, GXO. “Our R&D approach is to partner with developers all over the world to help them build and validate practical use cases that improve the working environment for our employees while optimizing operations for our customers. Agility shares this philosophy, and Digit is the perfect addition to work alongside our people in our fulfillment center. We’re delighted to progress our partnership through this critical milestone.” As part of the RaaS agreement, GXO is deploying Digit robots and Agility ArcTM, Agility’s cloud automation platform for deploying and managing Digit fleets. Digit is a multi-purpose, human-centric robot made for logistics work, and designed to work safely in human spaces and help with a variety of repetitive tasks. Agility Arc is designed to simplify the deployment lifecycle, from facility mapping and workflow definition to operational management and troubleshooting. In the SPANX facility, Agility’s solutions integrate with existing automation, including Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). Expanding on last year’s pilot, Digit robots are assisting with repetitive tasks such as moving totes from cobots and placing them onto conveyors, all orchestrated through Agility Arc. Under the RaaS agreement, the companies will continue to explore additional use cases and scale Digit usage to meet demand throughout the deployment. To see Digit in action at GXO, watch this video. “There will be many firsts in the humanoid robot market in the years to come, but I’m extremely proud of the fact that Agility is the first with actual humanoid robots deployed at a customer site, generating revenue, and solving real-world business problems,” said Peggy Johnson, CEO, Agility Robotics. “Agility has always been focused on the only metric that matters - delivering value to our customers by putting Digit to work - and this milestone deployment raises the bar for the entire industry.” ?Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine (SDCE) recently recognized GXO as the overall winner of the 2024 Top Supply Chain Projects awards for its groundbreaking pilot with Digit. About GXO Logistics GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: GXO) is one of the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider and is benefiting from the rapid growth of ecommerce, automation and outsourcing. GXO is committed to providing a diverse, world-class workplace for more than 130,000 team members across more than 970 facilities totaling approximately 200 million square feet. The company partners with the world’s leading blue-chip companies to solve complex logistics challenges with technologically advanced supply chain and ecommerce solutions, at scale and with speed. GXO corporate headquarters is in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. Visit GXO.com for more information and connect with GXO on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. About Agility Robotics Headquartered in Corvallis, Oregon, with offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Palo Alto, California, Agility Robotics’ mission is to build robot partners that augment the human workforce, ultimately enabling humans to be more human. Agility’s groundbreaking bipedal Mobile Manipulation Robot (MMR) Digit is the first multi-purpose, human-centric robot that is made for work™. Contact Matthew Schmidt GXO Logistics 203-307-2809 matt.schmidt@gxo.com Tim Smith Agility Robotics 415-350-3019 media@agilityrobotics.com