Digit humanoid robots developed by Agility Robotics are set to begin work at a facility operated by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) following the signing of a commercial Robots-as-a-Service agreement between the companies. Seven robots are scheduled for deployment in early April at TMMC’s Woodstock, Ontario, plant. The agreement follows a year-long pilot program that included development and proof-of-technology testing, during which three Digit robots were evaluated on site.
At the Woodstock facility, Digit is assigned to support assembly line operations by handling totes of automotive parts. The robot loads and unloads an automated tugger system, removing empty totes and replacing them with full containers to maintain the flow of parts to the production line. TMMC operates three plants in Ontario, including two in Cambridge and one in Woodstock.
Tim Hollander, President of TMMC, said the company assessed several robotic systems before selecting Digit. “After evaluating a number of robots, we are excited to deploy Digit to improve the team member experience and further increase operational efficiency in our manufacturing facilities,” he said.
TMMC is Canada’s largest automotive manufacturer by volume and one of Toyota’s highest-volume plants in North America. The company reports annual production capacity exceeding 500,000 vehicles and states it has produced more than 11 million vehicles since 1988.
Agility Robotics said it will continue working with TMMC to evaluate additional use cases for humanoid robots and artificial intelligence in automotive production, particularly for repetitive and physically demanding tasks on assembly lines.
Peggy Johnson, chief executive officer of Agility Robotics, said the collaboration will continue as the company advances its next-generation platform. “I look forward to continuing our work with Toyota to identify all the ways that Digit can help the employees working at their production facilities,” she said.
In addition to Digit, Agility offers Agility Arc, a cloud-based platform for deploying and managing fleets of robots. The company states that its systems are designed to integrate into existing manufacturing facilities and adapt to evolving workflows using artificial intelligence. TMMC joins other enterprises deploying Agility’s robots, including GXO, Schaeffler and Amazon.
