GXO Signs Industry-First Multi-Year Agreement with Agility Robotics
GXO Logistics has signed a multi-year agreement with Agility Robotics to deploy humanoid robots, Digit, in its logistics operations following a successful pilot in 2023. This agreement marks the industry's first formal commercial deployment and Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) deployment of humanoid robots.
Digit robots will operate at GXO's SPANX facility, performing repetitive tasks such as moving totes from cobots to conveyors, coordinated through Agility's cloud platform, Agility Arc. The deployment aims to optimize operations and improve working conditions for employees.
GXO continues to explore additional use cases and scale Digit utilization based on demand. This milestone showcases Agility's commitment to generating revenue and solving real-world business problems with humanoid robots.
- First formal commercial deployment of humanoid robots.
- First Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) deployment of humanoid robots.
- Successful pilot program in 2023 leading to multi-year agreement.
- Digit robots to optimize operations and improve working conditions at GXO's SPANX facility.
- Expansion of Digit's role to include more repetitive tasks.
- Recognition as winner of the 2024 Top Supply Chain Projects awards.
- None.
Insights
GXO's decision to deploy humanoid robots from Agility Robotics in their logistics operations represents a significant advancement in the field of automation. The use of humanoid robots, especially in a logistics environment, can revolutionize how repetitive tasks are managed, potentially reducing the need for human labor in mundane tasks. These robots can work alongside existing Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), enhancing overall operational efficiency. The integration with Agility Arc, a cloud automation platform, allows seamless management and deployment, which is critical for scaling operations.
From a technical perspective, this move showcases the potential of RaaS (Robots-as-a-Service), which offers flexibility and scalability. Retail investors should note that the success of this deployment could pave the way for broader adoption of humanoid robots in various industries, potentially driving up demand and consequently, the market value of companies involved in such technologies.
The implementation of humanoid robots at GXO's SPANX facility marks a pioneering moment in the logistics sector. The RaaS model is relatively new and offers businesses the ability to integrate advanced robotics without the substantial upfront cost, which can be a game-changer for companies looking to enhance their logistics capabilities. This agreement highlights GXO's commitment to innovation and optimizing operations, which could attract investors looking for companies at the forefront of technological advancements.
Considering the logistics market's growth, driven by e-commerce and consumer demand for fast delivery, the ability to deploy and scale humanoid robots efficiently can provide GXO with a competitive edge. This could lead to improved margins and potentially higher stock valuations in the long term.
From a financial standpoint, the multi-year agreement between GXO and Agility Robotics is a strategic move that may offer significant cost benefits over time. By adopting humanoid robots, GXO could reduce labor costs associated with repetitive tasks, potentially leading to higher productivity and efficiency in their operations. This could translate to better financial performance and improved profit margins. The recognition from SDCE magazine further enhances GXO's reputation in the supply chain industry, which could positively influence investor sentiment.
However, investors should also consider the costs associated with deploying and maintaining these robots. While the RaaS model mitigates some upfront expenses, there are ongoing costs that need to be managed effectively to ensure that the financial benefits outweigh the investments.
Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) agreement integrates Agility’s Humanoid robots with other cobots at SPANX facility
GREENWICH, Conn., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: GXO), the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, and Agility Robotics, creator of the leading bipedal Mobile Manipulation Robot (MMR) Digit®, announced today that they have signed a multi-year agreement to begin deploying Digit in GXO’s logistics operations. This agreement, which follows a proof-of-concept pilot in late 2023, is both the industry’s first formal commercial deployment of humanoid robots and first Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) deployment of humanoid robots.
“We’re building on the success of last year’s groundbreaking pilot with Agility by deploying fully operational Digit humanoids into a live warehouse environment,” said Adrian Stoch, Chief Automation Officer, GXO. “Our R&D approach is to partner with developers all over the world to help them build and validate practical use cases that improve the working environment for our employees while optimizing operations for our customers. Agility shares this philosophy, and Digit is the perfect addition to work alongside our people in our fulfillment center. We’re delighted to progress our partnership through this critical milestone.”
As part of the RaaS agreement, GXO is deploying Digit robots and Agility Arc™, Agility’s cloud automation platform for deploying and managing Digit fleets. Digit is a multi-purpose, human-centric robot made for logistics work, and designed to work safely in human spaces and help with a variety of repetitive tasks. Agility Arc is designed to simplify the deployment lifecycle, from facility mapping and workflow definition to operational management and troubleshooting.
In the SPANX facility, Agility’s solutions integrate with existing automation, including Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). Expanding on last year’s pilot, Digit robots are assisting with repetitive tasks such as moving totes from cobots and placing them onto conveyors, all orchestrated through Agility Arc. Under the RaaS agreement, the companies will continue to explore additional use cases and scale Digit usage to meet demand throughout the deployment. To see Digit in action at GXO, watch this video.
“There will be many firsts in the humanoid robot market in the years to come, but I’m extremely proud of the fact that Agility is the first with actual humanoid robots deployed at a customer site, generating revenue, and solving real-world business problems,” said Peggy Johnson, CEO, Agility Robotics. “Agility has always been focused on the only metric that matters - delivering value to our customers by putting Digit to work - and this milestone deployment raises the bar for the entire industry.”
Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine (SDCE) recently recognized GXO as the overall winner of the 2024 Top Supply Chain Projects awards for its groundbreaking pilot with Digit.
About GXO Logistics
GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: GXO) is the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider and is benefiting from the rapid growth of ecommerce, automation and outsourcing. GXO is committed to providing a diverse, world-class workplace for more than 130,000 team members across more than 970 facilities totaling approximately 200 million square feet. The company partners with the world’s leading blue-chip companies to solve complex logistics challenges with technologically advanced supply chain and ecommerce solutions, at scale and with speed. GXO corporate headquarters is in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. Visit GXO.com for more information and connect with GXO on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Agility Robotics
Headquartered in Corvallis, Oregon, with offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Palo Alto, California, Agility Robotics’ mission is to build robot partners that augment the human workforce, ultimately enabling humans to be more human. Agility’s groundbreaking bipedal Mobile Manipulation Robot (MMR) Digit is the first multi-purpose, human-centric robot that is made for work™.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the future performance of its customer solutions. These forward-looking statements are qualified by cautionary statements regarding unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as can be found in GXO’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and accessed through the company’s website http://www.gxo.com.
Media contacts
Matthew Schmidt
+1 203-307-2809
matt.schmidt@gxo.com
Tim Smith
Element Public Relations, for Agility Robotics
415-350-3019
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