Toyota Deploys Humanoid Robots
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada has signed a commercial Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) agreement with Agility Robotics to deploy seven Digit humanoid robots in its Ontario factory. The bipedal robots will move totes on the RAV4 assembly line, marking a transition from pilot programs to production work. The move signals growing enterprise confidence in using humanoids to solve “last 50 feet” automation challenges in environments designed for people.
- The Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) model used in the agreement allows Toyota to lease the robots and their supporting cloud platforms on a subscription basis, which lowers the upfront capital expenditure and shifts costs to operational expenses. This model is projected to become a $34 billion industry by 2026, making advanced automation more accessible to a wider range of businesses. - Agility Robotics' Digit model stands approximately 5' 9" tall, weighs around 143 lbs, and can carry a payload of up to 35 lbs (16 kg). It navigates using a combination of LiDAR and cameras to perceive its environment and is designed to operate for multiple shifts with autonomous charging stations. - This deployment is part of a larger trend of automotive manufacturers testing humanoid robots for logistics and assembly tasks. Other notable pilot programs include Figure AI's robot at a BMW facility, Apptronik's Apollo with Mercedes-Benz, and Tesla's internal use of its Optimus robot. - Agility Robotics has raised approximately $641 million in total funding, with a Series C round in March 2025 valuing the company at about $2.12 billion. Key investors include DCVC, Playground Global, and the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, signaling strong venture confidence in the humanoid robotics market. - The deployment will be managed using Agility Arc, a cloud-based platform for fleet management that integrates with existing factory systems like Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). This software layer is designed to reduce integration time from weeks or months to hours or days. - While designed to work in human environments, current versions of Digit often operate in cordoned-off areas for safety. Developing certifiably safe human-robot collaboration and ensuring industrial-grade reliability (95-99% uptime) remain critical challenges for scaling humanoid deployments. - The primary tasks for Digit at the Toyota plant will involve material handling, specifically unloading boxes of auto parts from automated tuggers to support the RAV4 production line. This addresses ergonomically challenging and repetitive work, aiming to reduce physical strain on human employees. - The push for humanoid robots in manufacturing is driven by a global labor shortage, which is projected to reach nearly 8 million manufacturing workers by 2030, and a desire to reshore industrial production. Humanoids offer the flexibility to adapt to various tasks without requiring costly, fixed infrastructure changes.
