Ten thousand humanoid robots a year planned to be produced Agility Robotics, when it opens its factory in the United States. This is how RoboFab was born, the droid factory in the best Star Wars style, with the bipedal robot Digit as its star element.
The 21,000-square-foot factory is located in Salem, Oregon. Construction began last year, and it will be released at the end of 2023. It will have more than 500 workers in the town, as well as employees in other locations.
Although in the first instance it will launch hundreds of robots on the market, About 10 thousand are expected at its highest stage. Agility Robotics’ interest is in mass producing Digit-style robots, in order to have a real and widespread impact.
In addition, the same Digit robot will be part of the birth of humanoid robots moving, loading and unloading containers.
“The opening of our factory marks a pivotal moment in the history of robotics: the beginning of mass production of commercial humanoid robots,” said Damion Shelton, CEO of Agility Robotics.
“We built Digit to solve difficult problems in today’s workforce, such as injuries, burnout, high turnover, and unfillable job gaps, with the ultimate vision of enabling humans to be more human,” Shelton noted in a statement.
Behind the project is Aindrea Campbell, as director of operations. She has experience as a senior operations leader at companies such as Ford and Apple. She even led the transition from steel to aluminum on the F-150.
“We are not only accelerating the development and deployment of advanced robotic systems, but also cultivating innovation and creating highly skilled job opportunities,” Campbell said. “With the ability to produce Digit at scale, we are poised to improve the future of work.”