Agility Robotics Secures OSHA-Recognized Safety Approval, Widening the Gap Between ''Demo'' and ''Deployment''

SALEM, OR — In the humanoid robotics industry, viral videos often outpace regulatory reality. But while the internet argues over which robot can jump the highest, Agility Robotics has quietly secured a credential that matters significantly more to warehouse managers: an OSHA-recognized safety seal.

On Monday, Agility announced that its bipedal robot, Digit, successfully passed a field inspection by a Nationally Recognized Test Lab (NRTL). The evaluation took place at a live ecommerce customer fulfillment site, certifying that the deployment meets rigorous safety standards required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The announcement comes at a pivotal moment for the industry. Just days ago, a lawsuit filed against competitor Figure AI alleged a culture of negligence regarding safety protocols. Agility’s news offers a stark counter-narrative: a focus on the unglamorous, bureaucratic compliance work necessary to put robots next to human workers without getting sued.

The "Golden Ticket" for Warehouses

For industrial buyers, NRTL approval is less a badge of honor and more a license to operate. Under OSHA's General Duty Clause, employers must provide a workplace free from recognized hazards. deploying a high-voltage, autonomous robot without third-party safety certification is a liability nightmare that few logistics giants—like Amazon or GXO—are willing to risk.

Agility’s field testing covered a litany of alphabet-soup standards, including ANSI/RIA R15.08 (industrial mobile robot safety) and ISO 13849 (safety of machinery control systems).

"Fulfillment centers demand uncompromising safety," the company stated in its release. "Robotics solutions deployed in these production environments must undergo field audits... simply demonstrating a capability in a lab is not enough."

This regulatory milestone complements Agility's recent operational achievements. Last week, the company reported that its fleet had moved over 100,000 totes in live commercial deployments, positioning Digit as a tool for "boring" consistent throughput rather than acrobatic flair.

A Tale of Two Safety Cultures

The timing of Agility's announcement draws a sharp line in the sand regarding industry philosophy.

While Agility is touting its adherence to ISO 12100 (risk assessment), the sector is still reeling from allegations that Figure AI—a startup backed by Jeff Bezos and Nvidia—fired its safety chief for complaining that safety protocols were "obstacles." That lawsuit paints a picture of a sector tempted to bypass the painstaking work of standardization in favor of speed.

Agility appears to be taking the opposite bet: that in the long run, the robot that is legal to operate will beat the robot that is merely faster to build. This divergence was already evident in public interactions, including a recent feud on X where Figure CEO Brett Adcock criticized Agility's engineering. Agility’s response has been to ignore the bait and publish compliance certificates.

The Global Push for Insurability

The pressure to formalize robot safety is not unique to the United States. As hardware matures, the conversation globally is shifting from "capability" to "liability."

In China, a parallel movement is underway to make humanoids insurable. According to a report by Yicai Global, major insurers including Ping An and PICC have introduced specific liability coverage for robotics. This follows the launch of China's first dedicated humanoid insurance product, "Ji Zhi Bao," by CPIC earlier this fall.

The drive for insurance is pragmatic. "One of our robots broke its leg while dancing, and another bumped into a person while walking," a robotics manager told Yicai, highlighting the inevitable friction of bringing embodied AI into the real world.

Zhang Chunguang, founder of Deyi Robotics, noted that for Chinese companies exporting to Western markets, this paperwork is non-negotiable: "Customers insist on buying related insurance before they can be used in the market."

From Lab Demos to Reliable Colleagues

Agility’s successful NRTL audit is site-specific, meaning it applies to the specific configuration and environment of the audited facility. However, it establishes a template for future deployments. The company notes that this approval allows them to expand Digit’s role from simple "putwall" tasks to more complex tote recycling workflows.

As the industry moves into 2026, the metrics for success are rapidly changing. The ability to perform a backflip or make coffee is becoming less relevant than the ability to pass an audit. By securing OSHA-recognized approval, Agility is signaling that the era of the "demo" is ending, and the era of the regulated, insured, and compliant industrial appliance has begun.