Agility Robotics plans to open a factory in Salem later this year that, in bringing hundreds of jobs to the region, could offer the capacity to produce thousands of robots.
The company, which grew from research at Oregon State University, is co-headquartered in Corvallis, where the company has its research hub, and Pittsburgh. Its robot, called Digit, is designed to work in warehouses, where it can augment workforces by taking over certain tasks and freeing up humans for different work.
Dubbed RoboFab, the factory will have capacity to produce more than 10,000 robots a year once it is fully ramped up. Construction on the project began last year and is expected to complete by Jan. 1. The company believes it will produce hundreds of robots in the first year.
“The opening of our factory marks a pivotal moment in the history of robotics: the beginning of the mass production of commercial humanoid robots,” said Damion Shelton, Agility’s co-founder and CEO in a written statement. “We built Digit to solve difficult problems in today’s workforce like injuries, burnout, high turnover and unfillable labor gaps, with the ultimate vision of enabling humans to be more human.”
Agility's robots are based on more than 15 years of research studying how animals and humans move. Its Digit robot has perception and can map routes to walk. It can also lift and move objects.
The company produced robots on a smaller scale for university researchers across the country. Such early customers as Ford Motor Co. signed on through a partner program. Those customers could receive their first Digit robots next year, the company said in a news release. General availability is slated for 2025.
Last year, Agility raised one of the largest funding rounds in the state, bringing in $150 million from investors, including the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund. At the time, Shelton said the team was scouting Salem, Portland and the I-5 corridor for a potential factory site.
The proximity to Corvallis will allow researchers and factory staff to coordinate quickly and scale the business.
“By establishing RoboFab as a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub in Salem, we are not only accelerating the development and deployment of advanced robotic systems, but also cultivating innovation and creating high-skilled job opportunities,” said COO Aindrea Campbell in a written statement. “With the capability to produce Digit at scale, we are poised to change the future of work for the better.”
In an interview last year, Shelton noted that the company was building out its local supply and working with local machine shops. The company has 211 employees, with 125 in Oregon.
