Agility Robotics adds close proximity safety mechanisms to humanoid worker

Robotics developer Agility has introduced Digit 5, its latest humanoid worker built to function directly beside humans without needing safety cages. According to reporting from Business Insider, the machine continuously monitors its surroundings to adjust its speed when people walk past. Should a person venture too close, the robot gently drops to the floor and cuts power to its motors to avoid accidental collisions.

This update matters because traditional factory automatons are typically locked behind fencing to protect staff, limiting their flexibility in shared work areas. Beyond safety controls, Agility swapped out the robot's backward-facing knees for a human-like leg structure, boosting its lifting capacity to 50 pounds. The company noted that the machine requires only a nine-minute charging session after roughly 90 minutes of activity.

Financial challenges persist despite the technological progress. Securities documents cited by Business Insider indicate that Agility brought in merely $1.8 million in revenue during 2025 while incurring a $140 million operating loss. Even as the enterprise prepares to go public through a SPAC transaction that values it around $2.5 billion, sample pricing outlines a potential cost of $400,000 per unit over five years, presenting a steep entry price compared to competing models.

While eliminating physical fencing marks a major step toward collaborative workplaces, a key open question is whether constant automatic shutdowns caused by nearby foot traffic will inadvertently create productivity slowdowns on busy warehouse floors.