Agility unveils Digit 5, designed to work closer to people

Agility has unveiled Digit 5, a redesigned industrial humanoid with a new leg architecture, a 50 lb (22.7 kg) lifting capacity and a faster charging system. Its central promise is work closer to people, reducing the need for the physical barriers that separate conventional automation from human workers.

The September 15 announcement also sets a timetable: early access is expected in the first half of 2027, with general availability targeted by the end of 2027. Agility plans to expand commercial deployment beyond North America into the European Union and United Kingdom.

The company calls Digit 5 its first humanoid engineered for cooperatively safe work at scale. Its product page makes clear that the robot remains in development: specifications are preliminary estimates from pre-production testing, and some safety features are still being developed.

New legs, heavier loads and nine-minute charging

Digit 5's more humanlike leg silhouette is a visible departure from earlier Digits. Agility confirms that it uses a new leg design with proprietary cycloidal actuator technology, developed for repeated lifting. The company rates its payload at 50 lb, describing that as a 40% increase.

Sources: Agility's announcement and product page. Specifications are preliminary company estimates, not independent test results.

The charging figures need to be read together. Agility is describing repeated work-and-charge cycles across a day, rather than a robot that runs for 20 hours on one battery charge. It says the run-to-charge ratio improves from Digit 4's 2:1 to 10:1.

Digit 5 also introduces interchangeable grippers with ISO-standard mounting flanges. The aim is to adapt the robot to different jobs, from moving totes to tending machines. Its announced reach height increases from Digit 4's 5.5 feet to 7.2 feet.

What cooperative safety means here

Agility describes three elements of the safety architecture: detecting people, communicating the robot's intentions, and independently supervising its motion.

The human-detection system combines multiple sensor technologies with Agility's AI algorithms. Depending on the situation, the company says Digit can avoid a person, stop or assume a seated position. Visual and audible signals communicate motion intent, while an independent safety controller supervises responses when a person gets too close.

The company also identifies itself as the first launch partner for NVIDIA's Halos for Robotics platform, pairing its architecture with NVIDIA IGX Thor and Halos Core infrastructure.

That is more specific than a general claim that the robot is safe around people. It is also not a blanket certification for unrestricted operation. Agility's product-page disclosure says some safety features remain in development and that safety measures do not eliminate all operational risk. Planned CE and other regulatory marks for European market access are described as expected, rather than already obtained.

Beyond moving totes

The launch footage shows Digit 5 walking, squatting, turning and handling blue crates around industrial equipment. Agility's broader plan is to expand from the tote-based material handling associated with Digit 4 into more of a facility's workflow.

The announcement names depalletizing, machine tending, kitting, sequencing, quality inspection and outbound palletizing as areas for expanding its skills. Agility Arc, its fleet-management platform, connects the robots with existing conveyors, autonomous mobile robots and warehouse or manufacturing software.

The video also includes graphical representations of possible applications such as retail restocking, cleanup and data-center work. Those illustrations describe a wider ambition; they should not be confused with confirmed customer deployments of each task.

The commercial test comes next

The reveal gives Agility's next-generation roadmap a visible form, but the new availability timetable matters too. Our recent analysis of its registration statement noted an earlier expectation of an initial Digit v5 release in late 2026. Today's announcement instead places early access in the first half of 2027.

That filing described a $300 million commitment for 1,000 Digit v5 robots under a three-year robots-as-a-service contract with a related-party customer, subject to milestones, features and specifications. Those commitments are not revenue already earned. Agility reported approximately $1.78 million in 2025 net sales and a $138.1 million net loss.

Agility says Digit 4 has accumulated more than 65,000 operational hours. That experience informed the redesign, but remains the earlier platform's record. Digit 5's next test will be turning its announced payload, charging and safety improvements into sustained work at customer sites.

Security and fleet integration

Alongside the hardware, Agility describes local processing of sensor data, encrypted onboard storage and encrypted communications with Arc. It says transmitted information is separated by customer and protected with certificate-based authentication. The company's Foundations: Data Security video gives additional context from CTO Pras Velagapudi.

The launch materials do not list a purchase price. Companies can contact Agility about deployment through its Digit 5 page. Our Agility company profile covers its existing business and deployments.