The era in which robots will arrive to replace humans is coming. Every time when a new robot is released, the world of workers trembles, but the technological world jumps with pride. Well, in the week of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, one more robot is shown; however, it is designed to work together with humans, not to replace them.
The American company Agility Robotics announced the launch of Digit, a robot with arms and legs, for commercial sale. Ford, involved in a research project with the startup, is the first customer that will soon receive its first two units.
Ford has been testing how Digit and its autonomous vehicles could work together to resolve the problem of last-50-feet delivery – last steps from the sidewalk to the door. Using the advanced connectivity technologies, Ford’s commercial vehicles and Digit also “talk” to each other and their surroundings.
The Digit robot has made great strides since its launch in May 2019. Since then, its creators have managed to give it more advanced feet that allow it to balance on one foot and overcome various obstacles, new sensors to perceive and map the world for navigation, and customer-ready, powerful onboard computer hardware.
Besides, Digit’s unique design allows it to tightly fold itself up for easy storage in the back of a vehicle until it’s called into action. Once a vehicle arrives at its destination, this two-legged robot grabs the package inside the vehicle and carry out the final step in the delivery process.
And in case, if it encounters an unexpected obstacle, it can send an image back to the vehicle to leverage additional computing power. Digit’s lightweight also helps ensure it has a long run time, which is essential for delivery businesses that operate continuously throughout the business day.