Agility Robotics and FORT expand safety architecture for Digit 5

Agility Robotics and FORT Robotics have signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen their existing safety partnership around Digit 5, expanding FORT’s role from individual safety components into a broader architecture spanning onboard and offboard systems.

The companies have worked together across several previous versions of Digit. Under the new framework, FORT’s technology will support a three-part safety system covering a safety pendant, on-robot communications and off-robot interfaces that connect Digit with external safety systems in the surrounding environment.

A central element is the jointly developed Offboard Safety Bridge, which is intended to extend Digit 5’s safety architecture beyond the robot itself. Agility says this will allow safety-related inputs from external systems and the surrounding environment to complement onboard functions such as human detection and motion control.

FORT is also supplying a pendant system for Digit that integrates emergency-stop and enabling-device functionality. The pendant will provide operators with an independent manual safety override during setup, maintenance and unexpected situations, while Digit 5 is expected to operate autonomously during normal work.

The expanded relationship will also cover joint hardware development, solutions engineering, regulatory compliance and deployment support as Digit 5 moves into more complex commercial environments. Agility is targeting applications including warehousing, manufacturing and logistics, where humanoid robots are expected to work in closer proximity to people.

Agility says previous generations of Digit have logged more than 65,000 hours of operation and have been deployed at customer sites including Schaeffler, GXO and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada. The company expects the FORT partnership to inform the safety architecture of Digit 5 and future generations of the platform.

The agreement remains at the memorandum-of-understanding stage, with definitive agreements still to be negotiated.