Agility Robotics' humanoid Digit robot helps itself to the logistics market

As the pandemic wears on, humanoid robots that can perform general tasks could become increasingly important. They can move heavy objects in warehouses, assist with last-yard deliveries, and potentially be involved in other tasks where low human-to-human contact is preferable for safety reasons. Agility Robotics is one of the companies making these helper robots. The company, which was spun out of the Dynamic Robotics Laboratory at Oregon State University, first got broad attention last year when it began a pilot with Ford, delivering packages in concert with the car maker's autonomous vehicles. When the pandemic hit, Agility Robotics had already turned from a lab project into a real company, and it was reaching a level of project maturity with its bipedal Digit robot. Now the company, fresh off of a $20 million funding round, is accelerating its quest to claim a chunk of the robot-powered material-handling and logistics market with additional partnerships and impending new versions of Digit.