Agility’s Digit 5 Humanoid Robot Leaves the Cage, and the Ostrich Knees

Agility Robotics spent three years watching Digit 4 haul totes for paying customers. On September 15, 2026, the Salem, Oregon company showed what that work bought: Digit 5, a 5-foot-11, 284-pound humanoid built to lift 50 pounds, charge in nine minutes, and share aisles with people instead of living behind a fence.

Customers told Agility that they required much more from Digit, including a larger payload, longer shifts, and a machine that could operate next to a person without a physical barrier. Digit 5 responds with two new legs that can move much faster, a much faster battery cycle, and a safety mechanism that allows it to’steer’ around a coworker, come to a complete stop, or even sit down and turn off its motors when not in use. For years, Jonathan Hurst, the co-founder and chief robot officer, argued that Digit’s comical, bird-like knees were the way to go, but they’ve been removed in Digit 5. The machine’s legs now fold up like ours, allowing it to crouch down, take up a cargo, and even kneel without slamming its ankles against the ground. Those new joints are powered by proprietary motors known as cycloidal actuators, which we will not discuss here. Hurst put it simply: the previous legs were for walking and sprinting. The new ones are for carrying large objects all day.

The new legs have increased the payload by 40%, as Digit 5 can now pick up 50 pounds repeatedly, which is more than adequate to tackle the type of one-handed lifting jobs that OSHA demands in regulated warehouses. It even has knee pads to assist it kneel, and once it sits down, its motors turn off, allowing a person to approach it securely. That’sitting down’ is not simply a party trick; it is all part of the safety strategy. Digit 5’s battery pack now lasts 90 minutes and charges in just nine, which is a significant improvement over the previous model’s 2 to 1 run-to-charge ratio. In other words, Digit 5 can operate for more than 20 hours a day if it simply walks to a charging dock. All of this is feasible thanks to a port on the rear, which also has a safety display, an emergency stop button, and a camera.

When it comes to Digit 5, Agility prioritizes safety above everything else because it wants warehouses to know that this robot is supposed to be safe. At its core, this is a system that detects humans using cameras, depth sensors, and inertial units and then responds appropriately. Depending on the distance, it may alter course, come to a halt, or even fall into that sat position. Lights and sirens are also activated to warn a nearby worker of what’s approaching, similar to how an automobile warns you of an oncoming collision. A separate safety controller sits above the mobility system to ensure that if someone crosses an unsafe line, the robot will take action to move out of the path. Agility recently claimed that Digit 5 is the first humanoid robot designed to pass a field evaluation against OSHA’s industrial safety standards, and they are also leading a project in the United States and Canada to develop safety standards for humanoid robots, as well as contributing to the ISO standard for the purpose.

NVIDIA has emerged as the first launch partner for the safety stack. Digit 5 is collaborating with NVIDIA’s IGX Thor & the Halos for Robotics platform, which Agility is leveraging to build a new controller and certification path, and everything appears to be on track. Any data that leaves the machine is encrypted. To ensure that everything remains in order, onboard storage is encrypted when not in use. Another difference is that the unit’s reach has increased to 7.2 feet, up from 5.5 feet for the previous model (Digit 4). That puts it slightly over the top shelf in the ordinary adult’s house, yet not making it too large to fit through standard doorways or workstations.

The grippers are ISO-standard, making them easily swappable. They’ve also developed a claw-type hand that’s ideal for big bins, and Agility says they’ll be adding more of these attachments in the future, including ideas from other firms with whom they’ve collaborated, so you won’t have to buy a new robot if you need to switch chores. For example, you can start with one doing tote labor and subsequently transition to machine tending without purchasing a separate robot.

The software aims to extend the grippers’ capabilities across the building. They train their AI on their own physical stack before managing the entire process with Agility Arc, which can interface with a warehouse or production system and synchronize with other machines like as AMRs and conveyors. Essentially, a single Digit 5 should be capable of handling nearly any task, from depalletizing to palletizing. And with 30 motors to keep track of, it needs to function at a rate of about 1,000 times per second, so even motor control is handled swiftly. All of the real task details are handled at higher layers of the software.

As for real sales, Agility claims that as of May 2026, they have over $300 million in commitments for the Digit 5, which is slated to be delivered over a number of years, although all of this is contingent on reaching the objectives agreed upon in their contracts. They also have a significant pipeline of manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics projects underway. The robots will be created at RoboFab, a 70,000 square foot plant in Salem that can produce up to 10,000 units per year. Engineering and validation take place in Pittsburgh, and they have constructed a new site in Fremont, California for their hardware and physical AI, which will go live in July 2026. Early access is planned for the first half of 2027, with general availability expected later that year. Outside of North America, it appears that it will first be used in the European Union and the United Kingdom, assuming all necessary certifications are acquired.