Agility Robotics has introduced the opening of a 6,500 square-meter manufacturing unit devoted to constructing its Digit humanoid robotic. The manufacturing unit is situated in Salem, Oregon, which, within the opinion of this native Oregonian, is a superb state wherein to find something. At peak capability, ‘RoboFab’ will make use of 500 people (working alongside a bunch of Digit robots) and can have the ability to produce “greater than 10,000 robots per yr,” a staggering quantity contemplating that Earth’s present inhabitants of humanoid robots possible numbers within the low a whole lot at most.

The manufacturing unit has been below development since final yr, and is “set to open later this yr,” based on Agility’s press launch. In 2024, Agility anticipates that they’ll have “manufacturing capability of a whole lot of Digit robots within the first yr, with the aptitude to scale to greater than 10,000 robots per yr.” Notice that when Agility is referring to “manufacturing capability,” the corporate will not be going as far as to recommend that they’ll be promoting that many robots, simply that they’re theoretically able to making them, though scaling this up is in no way trivial.

One of many issues that Agility goes to have to determine as a part of this course of is the best way to effectively construct after which help complicated robots at this scale, which is a vastly completely different drawback than constructing a pair dozen robots for analysis and industrial pilots. This consists of all the things from provide chain (what number of actuators do 10,000 robots a yr want and the place the heck are you going to seek out them?) to manufacturability—stuff like, how will you reduce the variety of instances you must connect one factor into one other factor whereas placing your robotic collectively? Relying in your perspective, these issues are both fascinating or terrifying (or perhaps each) however both means they’re not issues that humanoid robots have actually needed to cope with earlier than. So, kudos to Agility for getting thus far—the arduous half begins now, once they have to seek out individuals to truly purchase all of those robots.

Agility says that its first accomplice clients can count on supply of their Digits subsequent yr, and the remainder of us will see common availability in 2025.