Digit moved bins at a GXO Logistics facility in a RaaS model. Source: Agility Robotics
Agility Robotics Inc. is continuing to be a pioneer in commercializing humanoid robots. The company today said it has signed an agreement with Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc., or TMMC, to deploy its Digit robot in its facilities after a successful year-long pilot.
“Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada has long been a leader in automotive manufacturing innovation,”
stated Tim Hollander, president of TMMC. “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.”
TMMC is Toyota Motor Corp.’s largest manufacturing operation outside of Japan, with vehicle assembly plants in Cambridge and Woodstock, Ontario. The unit has assembled vehicles since 1988, including more than 535,000 in 2025, and it employs over 8,500 people. The company last month said it will build its 6th generation RAV4 at TMMC’s plants, investing $1.1 billion.
Toyota to search for more humanoid use cases
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada’s pilot involved three Digits and included development, proof-of-technology, and onsite phases. The company said it plans to deploy seven more humanoids to load and unload totes from an automated tugger, with more robots to come if they are successful.
In addition to the work that Digit is already doing, Agility and TMMC said they will assess additional use cases for robots and AI in support of employees in manufacturing, supply chain, and logistics operations. The companies plan to explore how automating some extremely repetitive and physically taxing tasks commonly found on automotive production lines could reduce strain and increase safety for employees, freeing them to do more value-added work in the factory.
Toyota joins a growing number of Fortune 500 companies deploying Agility’s humanoids around the world, including GXO Logistics, which claims to be the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider; motion technology company Schaeffler; and e-commerce giant Amazon.
In 2024, GXO was the first company to deploy Digit commercially at a Spanx facility in Georgia under a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model. Agility Robotics received a 2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for the milestone.
“Toyota is one of the premier companies in the world, one with a long history of innovation and success,
so it’s a privilege to join forces to integrate humanoid robotic solutions like Digit into automotive
production,” said Peggy Johnson, Agility Robotics’ CEO. “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.”
“With our next generation of Digit, we will be the first company to deliver the first cooperatively safe
humanoid robot to work alongside people, allowing companies like Toyota to scale their use of
humanoids well beyond what is possible today,” she added.
Agility Robotics designs for easy integration
With global labor shortages, robots could do a variety of monotonous, process-oriented tasks that are often difficult for manufacturers to fill and keep filled, noted Agility Robotics. The company‘s offerings include Digit, which it described as a “general-purpose” humanoid, and Agility Arc, a cloud-based platform for deploying and managing fleets of the robots.
Digit is designed to integrate easily into facilities without the need for costly retrofits or overhauls, said Agility. It also asserted that its system can continually learn tasks and adapt to new workflows, using AI to accelerate its commercial capabilities.
Salem, Ore.-based Agility Robotics has offices in Pittsburgh and Palo Alto, Calif. Digit is also working in a Mercado Libre warehouse in San Antonio, Texas.
Other humanoid robots in recent proofs of concept or commercial trials include:
- Apptronik‘s Apollo at Mercedes-Benz, GXO Logistics, and Jabil
- Boston Dynamics‘ Atlas at parent company Hyundai Motor
- 1X Technology‘s EVE and NEO Gamma at EQT Ventures portfolio companies
- Figure AI‘s Figure 02 at BMW and its unnamed first paying customer
- Humanoid‘s HMND 01 at Schaeffler and Siemens
- NEURA Robotics‘ 4NE-1 at Bosch
- Persona AI‘s humanoid with shipbuilder HD Hyundai
- Reflex Robotics’ system at GXO
- Sanctuary AI‘s Phoenix at Magna
- Tesla‘s Optimus in its own factories
- Ubtech‘s Walker S2 in multiple automotive plants and border checkpoints
- Unitree‘s G1 and H1 in research and H2 partnership with Leju Robotics
Editor’s note: Pras Velagapudi, chief technology officer of Agility Robotics, will participate in a panel on the “State of Humanoids” at the 2026 Robotics Summit & Expo, which will be on May 27 and 28 in Boston. Registration is now open.
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