Robot maker Agility, a spinoff created by researchers from Oregon State University, has announced that parties interested in purchasing one of its Digit robots can now do so. The human-like robot has been engineered to perform manual labor, such as removing boxes from shelves and loading them onto a truck. The robot can be purchased directly from Agility for $250,000.
Digit is vaguely human-shaped. It has two arms and two legs and can walk around. Its toeless feet are flat and its knees bend backward compared to humans. Also, it has no head or hands. But it does have strength and durability, and a computer that allows it to carry out tasks autonomously and without a tether. Digit looks the part of a robot ready to perform laborious tasks. Its frame is thick metal and it moves like a person who does manual labor. It can bend over and pick up a box, carry it to a desired destination (including climbing stairs if need be) and leave it there, repeatedly.
The team at Agility notes that current events make Digit ideal for businesses looking to replace human laborers with robot laborers. Human labor in the U.S. and other parts of the world, they note, is in short supply due to a variety of factors, not least of which is the current COVID-19 pandemic. They also note that Digit has been engineered to work in the real world; users do not need to alter the work environment to suit its needs; it can work anywhere human beings are already working. The team at Agility also note that they aim to be in the robot-making and selling business long-term. They just recently received an infusion of $20 million in funding from a variety of investors. They also recently struck a deal with Ford Motor Company for robots that can be used to load and unload boxes from self-driving vehicles.
Source: techxplore
