Stepping Out of the Cage: Agility Robotics Unveils Digit 5

Key points

Agility Robotics unveiled Digit 5, a next-generation humanoid designed to operate safely alongside humans without requiring safety cages ¹ ².
The teal-blue robot can lift up to 50 pounds, feature human-like knees for improved squatting power, and recharge in about nine minutes ².
Agility reports more than $300 million in multiyear orders for Digit 5, with commercial availability expected in North America by early 2027 ².
The company plans a public debut through a SPAC deal targeting a $2.5 billion valuation, according to securities filings ².

Breaking Out of Isolation

For years, humanoid robots working in warehouses and manufacturing plants have been confined behind physical safety barriers. While necessary for accident prevention, these cages created an awkward operational hurdle for machines specifically engineered to navigate spaces built for human workers. Agility Robotics is now aiming to eliminate that limitation with the introduction of its next-generation humanoid, Digit 5 ².

The newly unveiled teal-blue machine features advanced proximity detection that allows it to sense nearby humans and actively adjust its behavior. When a person approaches too closely, Digit 5 slows down or halts entirely. If the individual continues to advance, the robot is programmed to lower itself to the ground and shut off its motors altogether before any physical contact can occur ².

Engineering for Heavy Lifting

Beyond safety upgrades, Digit 5 brings notable physical improvements over its predecessors. Most visibly, the machine has dropped its signature backward-bending knees in favor of a more traditional, human-like leg configuration. According to company leadership, this structural change provides significantly greater strength for heavy lifting and deep squatting tasks ².

The robot can now lift up to 50 pounds, representing a 40 percent increase in capacity compared to earlier versions. Its power management has also been optimized, offering roughly 90 minutes of continuous work before walking to a charging dock to refuel via a rear-mounted port in about nine minutes. This rapid turnaround supports potential operation for more than 20 hours a day ². Additionally, Digit 5 supports swappable end effectors, starting with a claw-like gripper for moving heavy bins, with more dexterous manipulators planned for future deployment ².

Commercial Realities and Economics

Digit 5 arrives as Agility seeks to cement its early lead in the commercial humanoid market against well-funded competitors like Figure AI and Tesla ². The company currently has earlier iterations deployed across nine customer facilities in North America, including trials with major partners such as Amazon, Toyota, and GXO ². Agility reports securing more than $300 million in multiyear orders for the new platform ².

Financial disclosures offer a clear picture of the unit economics behind the rollout. In one illustrative pricing model outlined in regulatory filings, a customer might pay roughly $200,000 for the robot itself, alongside a $20,000 deployment fee and an annual software and maintenance cost of $36,000, totaling about $400,000 per unit over five years ². While the business remains unprofitable, generating $1.8 million in net sales against a $140 million operating loss in 2025, leadership is pressing forward with plans to become the first US humanoid maker to go public via a SPAC deal valuing the enterprise at approximately $2.5 billion ². Following its initial North American launch in early 2027, Digit 5 is scheduled to expand into the European Union and the United Kingdom later that year ².

Companies mentioned: Tesla (TSLA $360.99 ▲0.6%) • Amazon (AMZN $249.69 ▼1.5%)

Primary sources

Agility Launches Digit 5: No More Safety Cages, $300 Million In Orders (forbes.com) – Forbes reports on the launch of Digit 5 by Agility Robotics, highlighting its capability to work alongside humans outside of safety enclosures and noting over $300 million in existing orders. Forbes.com.
Agility's new humanoid is supposed to stop before it gets too close to humans (businessinsider.com) – Business Insider provides an in-depth look at Agility Robotics unveiling Digit 5, detailing its safety shutdown mechanisms, physical redesign including human-like knees, a 50-pound lifting capacity, pricing models, financial figures, and a planned SPAC public debut valuing the company at $2.5 billion. BusinessInsider.com.