AGILITY ROBOTICS

Digit biped robot: the robot with operational head and eyes

Agility Robotics has introduced a new generation of Digit biped robots. If the previous version, designed to carry out warehouses and other work, did not have a visible head and eyes, then the novelty acquired both, and therefore began to look more like a person. It is assumed that the presence of two animated LED eyes will improve interaction with people. But more importantly, Digit has become the world's first commercially available bipedal robot – developers are ready to provide it to individual customers.

Headless Digit was introduced in 2020. It was emphasized that the machine is useful in a variety of sectors from logistics to industrial inspections. The robot can even be used as an “avatar” for remote on-site presence. In addition, the model had to perform some of the tasks on a par with people and occupy almost the same space – that's why it was made just under 180 cm tall and bipedal.

Adding a head and eyes is not just a “cosmetic” procedure. A company spokesperson told reporters that the sensory head will allow people to better understand Digit's actions, as its eyes will show important information such as the intention to change direction or engage in a certain activity. In addition, it changed the design of the hands, which will now be easier to handle plastic containers, widely used in warehouses.

However, while Digit's capabilities remain limited – the robot can walk, crouch, climb stairs and perform other simple actions, the main task is lifting and lowering objects weighing up to 16 kg.

It remains to be seen how much the robot will cost companies looking to buy it, but developer Agility Robotics has launched the Agility Partner Program (APP) for companies looking to use Digit in their warehouses and supply chain. This is actually a beta test program in which Agility will provide companies with robots to do a variety of jobs.

Its engineers will work closely with partners to understand their warehouse workflows and demonstrate how Digit robots can solve these problems, from moving and manipulating boxes. APP members will have the opportunity to influence the development of new skills and capabilities for Digit based on real-world use cases. Additionally, APP members will receive exclusive early access to the new Digit before it becomes available to order for everyone.

mundophone