Agility Robotics and GXO Logistics have announced that they are expanding the commercial deployment of the Digit humanoid robot to logistics sites in North Carolina and Tennessee. The move builds on the robot’s use in a warehouse in Georgia.
The two companies have been working together since 2023 to integrate Digit into logistics operations. Their partnership is now entering a new phase, with deployments announced at several US sites. The aim is to extend the humanoid robot’s use, starting from material-handling tasks it already performs in a working environment.
Digit has moved more than 100,000 totes at a GXO warehouse
Digit was first deployed at GXO in late 2023, at a logistics centre in Flowery Branch, Georgia. According to Agility Robotics and GXO, this was the first commercial deployment of humanoid robots in real-world logistics operations, and it came with a Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) contract.
Since then, Digit has moved more than 100,000 totes at the Flowery Branch site, according to the two partners. The robot handles repetitive material-handling work, in particular carrying totes and placing them on conveyors.
Digit works alongside the automation systems already in place in the warehouse. It also uses Agility Arc, Agility Robotics’ cloud platform for managing robot fleets and integrating them into industrial facilities.
Digit expansion: new sites in North Carolina and Tennessee
Agility Robotics and GXO now plan to deploy Digit at facilities in North Carolina and Tennessee. The expansion marks a shift from a single initial commercial installation to use across several logistics sites.
For Peggy Johnson, CEO of Agility Robotics, the decision confirms the operational value of the technology. She points out that GXO was the first customer to use Digit in real-world operations under a commercial agreement.
Johnson says the experience gained in GXO’s warehouses directly shapes how Agility designs, deploys and supports its humanoid robot.
Patrick Kelleher, CEO of GXO, also presents the expansion as a step in bringing humanoid robotics into logistics operations. He emphasises the pursuit of measurable benefits for customers and better working conditions for staff.
What other industrial tasks Agility Robotics is preparing Digit for
The expanded partnership with GXO is part of a broader deployment strategy for Digit. Agility Robotics claims more than 65,000 hours of operation in real-world conditions and says it works with industrial safety standards in mind.
The manufacturer is also building several technology partnerships. It has chosen Nyobolt for fast charging and strengthened its collaboration with NVIDIA.
Agility Robotics also plans to deploy Digit in 2027 at a plant run by AGCO, a maker of agricultural equipment. This announced installation is intended to extend the robot’s use beyond warehousing.
On the financial side, Agility Robotics is preparing to go public through a proposed merger with Churchill Capital Corp. XI, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The company says it has received approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission for the transaction.
Which other humanoid robots GXO is testing
The partnership with Agility Robotics is not GXO’s only humanoid robotics initiative. The logistics company has also tested Apptronik’s Apollo and Reflex Robotics’ Reflex.
GXO says it has more than 150,000 employees and more than 1,000 logistics facilities, with a total floor area of more than 200 million square feet, or 18.5 million square metres.
The group is also automating its warehouses with other technologies. Among other projects, it has partnered with Exotec to automate order picking for Guess in the Netherlands.