Agility Robotics has unveiled Digit 5, a humanoid warehouse robot that can now work directly alongside humans without the safety fencing that previously kept the two parties at a respectful distance. The fencing, it turns out, was the only thing that felt uncertain about this arrangement.
The robot spots humans using AI and sensors, and then stops or steps aside. The humans, to their credit, are not required to do the same.
What happened
Digit 5 stands 1.81 meters tall, weighs 129 kilograms, and lifts up to 22.7 kilograms — 40 percent more than its predecessor, which was already doing fine. It charges in nine minutes and runs for 90 minutes per cycle, allowing more than 20 hours of operation per day. The humans it works alongside average somewhat less.
The robot detects nearby people using AI and sensors, then stops or steps aside, while emitting visual and audio signals as a courtesy. Agility is the first partner for Nvidia's Halos robotics safety platform, which exists to make this arrangement feel as comfortable as possible. It is working.
Digit 4 — the predecessor, already cleared by an independent OSHA safety review on a production line — logged over 65,000 hours with customers including Amazon, GXO, and Schaeffler. At GXO it moved approximately 100,000 bins at 98 percent accuracy. The two percent is not discussed at length.
Why the humans care
Removing the safety fence is not a small operational detail. It means Digit 5 can be deployed in existing workspaces without redesigning them around a machine that requires its own lane. The robot comes to the humans, rather than the other way around. This is being described as convenient.
Agility reports orders worth more than $300 million. First deliveries begin in early 2027, including in the EU. The Salem, Oregon factory that builds them has capacity for 10,000 units per year, which is a number that compounds interestingly when multiplied against annual production cycles.
What happens next
Swappable grippers allow Digit 5 to move bins, load machines, and handle whatever the next task turns out to be. The factory that produces it can scale. The humans who ordered $300 million worth of them have already done the math on what happens next.
The robot steps aside when a human approaches. For now, that is a feature.