In the heart of Oregon, a historic step is being taken towards an advanced and technologically advanced future. Agility Robotics, a cutting-edge startup in the field of robotics, is about to open the first factory in the world dedicated to the mass production of humanoid robots.
This development is a significant leap towards an era in which robots and humans will collaborate more closely than ever: and explains recent utterances from Agility's own CEO (we talked about it here).
Humanoid robots: versatility and innovation
With their ability to walk on two legs and handle objects with precision, humanoid robots offer unprecedented advantages over their traditional industrial counterparts. The factory, nicknamed RoboFab and located in Salem, Oregon, has the ambitious goal of producing 10.000 robots per year. Robots designed (and for some time, we have been following Agility over 6 years) to tackle dangerous and onerous tasks, such as lifting and transporting goods, thus reducing the risk for human operators.
Amazon, one of the global e-commerce giants, has shown significant interest in this technology, investing in Agility Robotics through its Industrial Innovation Fund. The e-commerce giant is testing the robot Digit, a model developed for advanced logistics applications. Digit's ability to move, grasp and manipulate objects in narrow, complex spaces makes it ideal for work environments such as warehouses, which were originally designed for humans (which in the meantime they go on strike, having human needs).
The war of the robots
Despite significant enthusiasm and investment, starting an android factory remains an ambitious and arduous move. After all, building bipedal robots is a massive engineering challenge, right? Several competitors including Tesla with Optimus and Boston Dynamics with Atlas are exploring this frontier, each with their own unique vision. Not to mention the Google's progress in the field. Even China seems to think so. Beijing has recently announced the goal of mass producing humanoid robots by 2025.
The one who manages to overcome more challenges than the others will win. What challenges? Well, programming robots to work safely alongside humans and creating dexterous hands and arms are just some of what engineers are tackling.
Android factory: prospects and possible impacts
Our grand plan is to get to generic humanoids as soon as possible.
Damion Shelton, CEO of Agility Robotics
The creation of RoboFab and the prospect of mass production of humanoid robots mark a crucial moment in the history of robotics.
The ideal scenario is that robots can take on repetitive and predictable tasks, freeing human workers for more complex and creative roles. Reality may also move away from this prediction: the path towards a harmonious integration of robots and humans in the workplace is still long and full of challenges.
We hope to overcome them with intelligence and fairness, because the potential is immense. The near future could see “factory-fresh” humanoid robots walking alongside us, collaborating in ways we can only imagine today.
