by Mat Dirjish
Humanoid robotics and physical AI company Agility Robotics claims its Digit 5 general-purpose humanoid robot is the first such robot engineered for cooperatively safe work at scale. Reportedly, this allows it to work in close proximity to humans without the physical safety barriers required by traditional automation.
As per its maker, Digit 5 is the first humanoid to pass an independent field evaluation on a customer production line for industrial safety standards administered by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Digit 5 features include:
- Proprietary AI algorithms and multiple sensor technologies to continuously monitor for people and take appropriate action by autonomously avoiding, stopping, or assuming a seated position.
- Visual and auditory cues to convey motion intent and alert nearby humans to enable their participation in safe operation.
- An independent safety controller that oversees the robot’s response to the detection of humans within an unsafe distance and instantly triggers the appropriate safety responses.
- Agility is expanding Digit 5’s safety architecture by partnering with company’s such as NVIDIA’s Halos for Robotics platform, pairing Agility’s systems with NVIDIA IGX Thor and Halos Core infrastructure.
Digit 5 also offers hardware upgrades such as a 40% greater payload, 90-minute runtime battery system that charges in nine minutes, and a swappable gripper design with ISO-standard mounting flanges. The robot weighs 284 lbs., stands 5′ 11″, and can reach heights up to 7.2 ft. For deeper details, peruse the Digit 5 overview.
