Agile Robots and Hitachi Partner on Physical AI for Manufacturing

Agile Robots and Hitachi have announced a partnership to develop and commercialize Physical AI for manufacturing, bringing the Munich company's Agile ONE humanoid into a collaboration that also spans robotic arms, mobile robots and factory software.

Key Takeaways

Show all

• The partnership combines Agile Robots' hardware and AgileCore platform with Hitachi's AI and industrial integration expertise.
• Hitachi's edge AI semiconductor technology is part of the planned work, alongside commercialization through HMAX Industry.
• The announcements disclose no deal value, robot order quantities or deployment timetable.

The September 29 announcement from Agile Robots identifies tasks such as parts handling, machine loading, assembly and production changeovers as targets. These are operations where variations in workpieces or conditions can make fixed automation difficult to apply.

AgileCore supplies simulation, control and orchestration across Agile Robots' portfolio. The longer-term ambition is to coordinate robots, machines and people across production operations.

“Physical AI will only transform industry if it works reliably on the factory floor, and at scale,” said Agile Robots founder and CEO Zhaopeng Chen.

Chips and a route into factories

Hitachi's release adds a hardware component: its edge AI semiconductors are intended to process visual and tactile information rapidly with low power consumption. The companies plan to combine that technology with Agile Robots' systems.

Hitachi will offer resulting solutions globally through HMAX Industry, its industrial AI portfolio. It also describes using operational data and manufacturing knowledge to improve the systems through deployment. Agile Robots will sell the products to its own customers.

For humanoids, the significance is the connection to factory integration and customer operations. Agile ONE is explicitly included in the portfolio, but the announcements do not identify a specific humanoid deployment or customer order.

Building on the DeepMind partnership

The agreement follows Agile Robots' research partnership with Google DeepMind, announced in March, to integrate Gemini Robotics models with its industrial hardware.

The Hitachi deal adds another industrial partner to that effort. Neither announcement explains how Hitachi's AI work will connect with Gemini Robotics. The next substantive milestone will be a named application with deployment details and measured production results.