Agility Robotics Inc. has announced a strategic partnership with Ricoh USA Inc. to enhance customer support for its Digit bipedal mobile manipulation robot across North America. This collaboration aims to bolster Agility Robotics’ deployment capacity by leveraging Ricoh’s extensive service delivery network, ensuring better preparation for large-scale implementations. The partnership signifies a pivotal move for Agility Robotics in its quest to automate repetitive tasks in logistics and other industries.
Agility Robotics’ latest partnership reflects ongoing efforts to build a robust support system for its humanoid robot, Digit. Historically, Agility has made significant strides in commercial trials, including collaborations with companies like GXO Logistics Inc. and investments from Amazon. These earlier initiatives laid the groundwork for the current extended support system through Ricoh’s Service Advantage program.
Enhancing Service and Maintenance
“We expect our exclusive and differentiated partnership will accelerate Agility’s growth potential and ability to scale by facilitating technology adoption and support within their service promise for the growing number of companies looking to automate their operations,”
said Jim Kirby, vice president of Service Advantage for Ricoh North America. Agility Robotics’ head of public relations, Julia Gaynor, emphasized the importance of this partnership for providing expert support, including service and maintenance for both Digit and Agility Arc, Agility’s cloud automation platform for managing Digit fleets.
Digit, which won the 2024 Robot of the Year award, is designed to work safely in human environments, handling various repetitive tasks. The Agility Arc platform aims to simplify the deployment lifecycle, enhancing operational management through features like facility mapping and workflow definition.
Growth and Innovation
The partnership with Ricoh is part of Agility Robotics’ broader strategy to scale its operations and launch the next generation of Digit, which will boast a higher lifting capacity and improved battery life. GXO Logistics Inc. has already integrated a small fleet of Digit robots in its operations, demonstrating the robot’s efficiency in tasks like moving totes from autonomous mobile robots to conveyors.
Gaynor highlighted that, aside from GXO, Agility has several customers in stealth mode, with a robust pipeline following successful pilots. These advancements underline the growing demand for Digit and the company’s commitment to continuous innovation.
Market Competition
While Agility Robotics leads in public deployments, competitors like Figure AI and Boston Dynamics are also making strides in the humanoid robot market. Figure AI recently completed a successful pilot at a BMW plant, and Boston Dynamics launched an electric version of its Atlas robot. GXO is also testing Apptronik’s Apollo humanoid, which has the capability to carry heavier loads and features swappable batteries for prolonged use.
Agility Robotics’ collaboration with Ricoh signifies a crucial step toward more extensive and effective deployments of its Digit robot. The partnership will likely serve as a catalyst for greater adoption of automation in logistics and other sectors. By providing comprehensive support, both companies aim to streamline the deployment process, making it easier for businesses to integrate humanoid robots into their operations. This strategic move not only strengthens Agility Robotics’ market position but also sets a precedent for future partnerships in the robotics industry.
