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Boston Dynamics Atlas vs.
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Agility Robotics Digit, Mobility Champion or Warehouse Workhorse.
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By Weylin, Industrial Automation Lead.
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Status Check, October 31st, 2026.
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The short version, Atlas leads on paper for strength, reach, and freedom of movement.
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Digit leads on work already proven in customer operations.
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That is not a small difference.
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One robot is still being tested for factory use.
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The other has moved real totes in a live warehouse.
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There is a generation gap to keep in view.
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Boston Dynamics Electric Atlas has a current enterprise specification sheet, but the company still describes it as underdevelopment and in field testing.
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Digit 5 is Agility's newest design, but its published specifications are preliminary and commercial deliveries are planned for 2027.
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For a buyer choosing a robot for work now, the relevant digit is the commercial Digit 4, not the not yet released Digit 5.
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That makes this a comparison of two things, Atlas's capability ceiling and Digit's production evidence.
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As of October 31, 2026, Digit is the safer operational bet for a narrow logistics task.
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Atlas is the more striking physical platform and the bigger bet.
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The versions being compared, Boston Dynamics' latest Atlas specification sheet is revised October 15, 2026.
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Agility unveiled Digit 5 on September 15, 2026, then announced an NVIDIA compute change on October 22nd.
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But Agility says Digit 5 remains in development and that its posted numbers are preliminary estimates based on pre-production equipment.
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Agility expects early customer access in the first half of 2027 and general availability by the end of 2027.
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Atlas Specification Sheet, Digit 5 Product Page, Agility's Digit 5 Development Note.
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For the full table, please open this article on RobotComparisons.com.
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Atlas figures come from Boston Dynamics October specification sheet.
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Digit 5 figures come from Agility's product page and are explicitly marked as preliminary estimates.
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Neither company publishes a match test protocol for speed, payload, reach, or endurance, so the table is useful for screening, not a substitute for a task trial.
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Atlas specifications, Digit 5 specifications and disclaimer.
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Mobility and balance.
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Atlas has the higher ceiling.
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Digit has the stronger work record.
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Atlas is the mobility champion on paper.
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Its 56 degrees of freedom and continuous range of motion point to a robot built to move its body and limbs through more positions than a conventional fixed base arm.
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It also combines that motion with a 2.3 meter reach and a lower stated body weight than Digit 5.
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These are meaningful advantages for reaching around equipment and changing body posture at a workstation.
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But a spec sheet does not prove a production robot can do every move reliably, all shift long, around people.
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Boston Dynamics has not published a standard head-to-head test of walking speed, obstacle crossing, balance recovery, or task throughput for the customer-facing electric atlas.
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Its older research robots are not the same as the Electric Enterprise version now being field tested.
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Atlas specification sheet, digits design is less about dazzling movement and more about moving while doing a job.
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Agility's chief robot officer says the company prioritizes manipulation, reliability, safety, and customer tasks over polishing an especially graceful gait.
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That is the right industrial priority.
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A robot earns its place by completing the task, not by making a dramatic walk look easy.
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Digit's bipedal design has already been used in a live logistics operation, though that does not prove it can handle every aisle, floor, or obstacle.
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Agility's Digit 5 Engineering QA GXO deployment update verdict.
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Atlas is the better answer to which one looks capable of more kinds of movement.
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Digit is the better answer to which one has shown it can walk and do a repeated warehouse job in a customer site.
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Manipulation, payload, and reach.
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Atlas wins the published numbers.
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A robot's payload is the load it can handle.
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Reach is how far it can extend its work area.
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By Boston Dynamics published numbers, Atlas leads on payload, up to 50 kg instantaneously, 30 kg sustained, and 20 kg one-handed.
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Its stated reach is 2.3 meters.
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Digit 5's preliminary figures are 23 kg and 2.2 meters.
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On those numbers, Atlas has more headroom for heavy or awkward loads.
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Atlas specification sheet, Digit 5 product page.
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Still, payload numbers are not a full-task comparison.
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A heavy lift at the robot's side is different from holding the same load at arm's length, moving it quickly, and placing it accurately.
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Buyers should ask for payload performance at the required reach and cycle rate, not just the largest number on a brochure.
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Atlas has tactile sensors in its fingers and palm, which could support more delicate contact tasks.
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Digit 5 takes a more production-minded approach, swappable grippers for different jobs.
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Agility's own roadmap describes moving from totes and bins toward picking items, building kits, and handling cardboard boxes.
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That broader manipulation is a development goal, not yet a proven Digit 5 production feature.
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Atlas specification sheet, Agility on Digits Task Roadmap and Grippers, Verdict.
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Atlas wins the published payload and reach comparison.
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Digit swappable tools may be the more practical answer when a factory needs a durable tool for a known job, rather than a human-like hand for many possible jobs.
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Runtime and charging.
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Atlas publishes a clear swap plan.
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Digit 5 makes the bigger endurance claim.
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Atlas lists 4 hours of battery life, or 2 hours with heavy lifting.
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Boston Dynamics says the robot can walk to a charging station, swap its own battery in three minutes, and return to work.
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The sheet lists a 1, 5-hour full charge for a battery and 110 volt power, with 220 volts optional.
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That is a clear design for reducing time out of service, though the full self-swap work slow still needs to be proven in each site.
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Atlas specification sheet, Atlas product page, Agility advertises Digit 5 at a 10 to 1 run-to-charge ratio and up to 20 hours of work per 24-hour period.
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Its September 2026 company article says Digit 4 reached a 4 to 1 charge ratio in recent deployments.
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While the new design aims to improve that with short charging stops during workflow breaks.
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But Agility does not publish a guaranteed Digit 5 battery runtime in hours and open product sheet dock time or results from a production fleet using the new design.
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Treat the 10 to 1 and 20 hour figures as targets to verify, not as current Digit 4 performance.
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Agility Digit 5 product page, agility on battery and production design.
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Verdict.
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Atlas has the more concrete public charging specification.
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Digit 5 has the more ambitious endurance promise.
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For either robot, the useful number is productive hours under your payload and work cycle.
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Not a best case battery claim.
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Autonomy and fleet software.
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Digit has the deployed stack.
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Atlas has a roadmap.
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Boston Dynamics says Atlas can work with minimal supervision, learn a task quickly, share learned skills across a fleet, and connect with manufacturing and warehouse systems.
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Its spec sheet lists barcode and RFID integration, plus autonomous, tablet, and VR-operated modes.
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That is a strong product plan.
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Yet Atlas is still entering customer field testing, and Boston Dynamics does not publish a field record showing autonomous task completion, human intervention rates, or hours worked per unit.
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Atlas product page Atlas Specification Sheet.
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Boston Dynamics orbit software already manages its other robots, but its own orbit page describes Atlas support as eventually, while the Atlas page says customers will be able to integrate it into orbit.
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That matters.
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The existence of a mature fleet platform is useful, but it is not proof that Atlas fleet management is already a mature deployed feature.
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Orbi Fleet Management, Atlas product page.
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Agility's ARC Fleet Platform is already part of its digit deployments.
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Agility describes connections to warehouse and factory systems, including warehouse management, warehouse execution, and manufacturing execution software.
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In its published deployment process, Agility says its team maps the work area, connects digit to site Wi-Fi and ARC, assigns tasks, and adjusts the setup on site.
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This is more operationally grounded than a fleet integration that has not yet been publicly shown at Atlas scale.
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Agility deployment process, GXO deployment update.
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Verdict.
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Digit leads and fleet software evidence today.
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Atlas has attractive planned features, but industrial buyers should ask which ones are shipping on the exact Atlas version they can test.
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Safety and reliability.
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A safety feature is not a safety sign-off, Boston Dynamics, lists human detection and fenceless guarding on Atlas's specification sheet.
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Agility describes Digit 5 as designed for cooperative work near people, but Agility's current deployment guide says Digit 4 stays in a sectioned-off work cell and that Digit 5's cooperative safety features are still being developed.
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Agility also said it was preparing for outside safety evaluation and certification.
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So a promise of barrier-free work should not be confused with an already approved barrier-free deployment.
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Atlas specification sheet, agility deployment process, Nvidia Safety Collaboration Update.
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There is a reason to be strict here.
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These are heavy, dynamically balancing machines.
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A robot that can detect a person is not automatically safe for every task or aisle.
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The task, gripper, load, speed, floor, nearby machinery, and how people enter the work area all matter.
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For industrial buyers, the 2025 ISO 10218 standards distinguish safety requirements for the robot itself from requirements for integrating it into a complete robot system.
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OSHA says there is no single OSHA standard, specifically for robotics, and points employers to relevant workplace rules and consensus standards.
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Neither a vendor's safety feature list nor a successful pilot replaces a site-level risk review.
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ISO 10218-1 2025, ISO 10218-2 2025, OSHA Robotics Overview, OSHA Standards Information.
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On reliability, Digit has the better record, but not a complete public scorecard.
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Agility reports more than 65,000 hours of real-world operation across its Digit program and says Digit moved more than 100,000 totes at GXO's Georgia facility.
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Its chief robot officer has also said the company can reach about 99% reliability on a clear, well-defined task.
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That is a company-reported figure for a narrow task, not a published fleet-wide uptime or mean time between failures.
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GXO deployment update, Digit 5 Engineering QA.
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Atlas is designed with modular, field-replaceable parts, but Boston Dynamics has not published comparable Atlas operating hours, uptime, or repair rates from customer production.
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Digit wins on operating evidence.
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Neither robot has a public independently verified reliability scorecard.
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Production, customer deployments, and work that has proven Atlas, a serious factory program.
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Not yet a general purchase.
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Boston Dynamics and Hyundai have opened a Robotics MetaPlant application center at Hyundai Motor Group MetaPlant America in Georgia.
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Atlas robots are being trained for factory tasks such as sequencing automotive parts.
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The companies say they plan to expand the facility in 2027 and extend Atlas work to component assembly by 2030.
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Boston Dynamics still describes Atlas as a platform in development, so this is an important field validation step, not proof of a mature, broadly available production robot.
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Boston Dynamics MetaPlant announcement.
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The same announcement describes much larger plans.
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Hyundai Group says it intends to expand Atlas deployment across its plants and plans a U.S.
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production facility capable of 30,000 robots a year.
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Those are future plans and capacity claims, not current unit shipments.
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Boston Dynamics has not published an open list price or a general delivery schedule for Atlas.
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Boston Dynamics MetaPlant announcement.
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Atlas product page.
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GXO says it has used Digit to move totes and place them on conveyors in a live logistics site.
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Agility reports that the robot has moved more than 100,000 totes there.
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GXO plans to expand to two more U.S.
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facilities in 2027, initially using Digit 4, then transition to Digit 5 when it becomes commercially available.
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GXO and Agility's expansion announcement.
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Agility also reports a commercial agreement with Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada after a successful pilot and has announced a digit pilot with AGCO expected to begin in 2027.
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These are meaningful manufacturing signals, but the AGCO task is a future pilot, not a completed production result.
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Agility says Shafler also plans to use Digit across its plant network.
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Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Agreement, AGCO pilot announcement, Shafler Agreement.
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Agility says its Salem Manufacturing Facility, Robofab, is designed for capacity of up to 10,000 robots a year.
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That is planned capacity, not a report of current output.
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For Digit 5, the company's announced timeline is early customer access in the first half of 2027, with general availability targeted by the end of 2027.
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Agility has also reported more than$300 million in multi-year Digit 5 commitments, but says the value depends on product features, specifications, and contractual milestones.
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It is not current period revenue.
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Agility's October 2026 commercial update, Digit 5 product page.
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Which robot fits which task?
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For the full table, please open this article on robotcomparisons.com.
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Atlas is the more compelling development platform for a manufacturer that wants to test heavier loads and a broader range of physical tasks.
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Digit is the more practical deployment choice for a logistics operator with a tote-moving job that matches its existing record.
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If the task is fixed and repetitive, a conventional robot arm, conveyor, or mobile robot may still be cheaper and simpler than either humanoid.
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Agility itself says some workflows are better suited to an AMR or fixed arm.
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Agility's deployment process atlas product page.
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Price, service costs, and integration needs.
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Neither company publishes a standard purchase price or service rate card for these robots.
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Agility has used a robots as a service, RAS agreement with GXO, meaning the customer pays for a managed service rather than simply buying a robot outright.
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The fee and service terms are not public.
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Atlas is available for customer discussions, but Boston Dynamics has not published a list price, service tariff, or general order schedule.
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GXO and Agility's RAS announcement, Atlas product page, that means a responsible cost comparison must be based on a customer's task, not a rumored robot price.
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Ask each vendor for cost per productive hour or completed tote, including integration, software, service, spare parts, safety work, charging equipment, and human interventions.
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For Atlas, ask whether battery swap hardware and orbit integration are included in the proposal.
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For digit, ask what the RAS fee covers, how much on-site support is included, and whether the proposed task uses Digit 4 or Digit 5.
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Agility's published deployment process includes checking whether a humanoid is right for the workflow, mapping the site, connecting to Wi-Fi and fleet software, configuring tasks, working through site-specific changes, and training customer staff.
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That is a useful model for any humanoid deployment.
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Atlas buyers should likewise plan for task training, factory system connections, safety review, and charging station integration, not just delivery of a robot.
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Agility Deployment Process, Atlas Specification Sheet.
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Final verdict.
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Digit is the workhorse.
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Atlas is the capability bet.
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Digit is the better choice for an industrial team that needs a humanoid working on a defined logistics task in the near term.
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It has live deployments, a customer service process, and operating history.
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The evidence is narrow but real.
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Atlas is the better choice for teams chasing the highest physical capability, especially higher stated payload, longer reach, and broad whole body movement.
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Its factory program with Hyundai is important, but Atlas is still in field testing, and its public production evidence is not yet comparable to Digit's tote moving record.
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So the title's choice has two answers.
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Atlas is the mobility champion on paper.
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Digit is the warehouse workhorse in practice.
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In an RFP, do not award the job to a demo.
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Require each supplier to show the exact robot version completing your task at your site, with measured throughput, intervention rate, uptime, payload, charging behavior, safety controls, and service terms.
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All links to sources are available in the text version of this article.
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You can find the full article at robotcomparisons.com slash blog.
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Thanks for listening.
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Thanks for listening to Robot Comparisons.
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If you found this episode valuable, make sure to subscribe so you never miss a new deep dive.
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For the full written breakdown, detailed spec sheets, and side by side comparisons, head over to robotcomparisons.com.
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That's R O B O T C O M P A R I S O N S dot com.
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New research drops multiple times a week.
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Boston Dynamics Atlas vs.
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Agility Robotics Digit, Mobility Champion or Warehouse Workhorse.
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By Weylin, Industrial Automation Lead.
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Status Check, October 31st, 2026.
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The short version, Atlas leads on paper for strength, reach, and freedom of movement.
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Digit leads on work already proven in customer operations.
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That is not a small difference.
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One robot is still being tested for factory use.
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The other has moved real totes in a live warehouse.
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There is a generation gap to keep in view.
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Boston Dynamics Electric Atlas has a current enterprise specification sheet, but the company still describes it as underdevelopment and in field testing.
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Digit 5 is Agility's newest design, but its published specifications are preliminary and commercial deliveries are planned for 2027.
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For a buyer choosing a robot for work now, the relevant digit is the commercial Digit 4, not the not yet released Digit 5.
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That makes this a comparison of two things, Atlas's capability ceiling and Digit's production evidence.
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As of October 31, 2026, Digit is the safer operational bet for a narrow logistics task.
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Atlas is the more striking physical platform and the bigger bet.
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The versions being compared, Boston Dynamics' latest Atlas specification sheet is revised October 15, 2026.
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Agility unveiled Digit 5 on September 15, 2026, then announced an NVIDIA compute change on October 22nd.
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But Agility says Digit 5 remains in development and that its posted numbers are preliminary estimates based on pre-production equipment.
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Agility expects early customer access in the first half of 2027 and general availability by the end of 2027.
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Atlas Specification Sheet, Digit 5 Product Page, Agility's Digit 5 Development Note.
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For the full table, please open this article on RobotComparisons.com.
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Atlas figures come from Boston Dynamics October specification sheet.
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Digit 5 figures come from Agility's product page and are explicitly marked as preliminary estimates.
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Neither company publishes a match test protocol for speed, payload, reach, or endurance, so the table is useful for screening, not a substitute for a task trial.
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Atlas specifications, Digit 5 specifications and disclaimer.
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Mobility and balance.
00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:28.319
Atlas has the higher ceiling.
00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:30.400
Digit has the stronger work record.
00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:32.800
Atlas is the mobility champion on paper.
00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:42.319
Its 56 degrees of freedom and continuous range of motion point to a robot built to move its body and limbs through more positions than a conventional fixed base arm.
00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:48.560
It also combines that motion with a 2.3 meter reach and a lower stated body weight than Digit 5.
00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:54.319
These are meaningful advantages for reaching around equipment and changing body posture at a workstation.
00:02:54.479 --> 00:03:01.039
But a spec sheet does not prove a production robot can do every move reliably, all shift long, around people.
00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:11.199
Boston Dynamics has not published a standard head-to-head test of walking speed, obstacle crossing, balance recovery, or task throughput for the customer-facing electric atlas.
00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:16.639
Its older research robots are not the same as the Electric Enterprise version now being field tested.
00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:23.120
Atlas specification sheet, digits design is less about dazzling movement and more about moving while doing a job.
00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:33.520
Agility's chief robot officer says the company prioritizes manipulation, reliability, safety, and customer tasks over polishing an especially graceful gait.
00:03:33.759 --> 00:03:36.000
That is the right industrial priority.
00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:41.520
A robot earns its place by completing the task, not by making a dramatic walk look easy.
00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:50.719
Digit's bipedal design has already been used in a live logistics operation, though that does not prove it can handle every aisle, floor, or obstacle.
00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:56.240
Agility's Digit 5 Engineering QA GXO deployment update verdict.
00:03:56.560 --> 00:04:01.199
Atlas is the better answer to which one looks capable of more kinds of movement.
00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:08.240
Digit is the better answer to which one has shown it can walk and do a repeated warehouse job in a customer site.
00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:10.639
Manipulation, payload, and reach.
00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:12.800
Atlas wins the published numbers.
00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:15.520
A robot's payload is the load it can handle.
00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:18.639
Reach is how far it can extend its work area.
00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:29.519
By Boston Dynamics published numbers, Atlas leads on payload, up to 50 kg instantaneously, 30 kg sustained, and 20 kg one-handed.
00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:32.399
Its stated reach is 2.3 meters.
00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:37.920
Digit 5's preliminary figures are 23 kg and 2.2 meters.
00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:42.720
On those numbers, Atlas has more headroom for heavy or awkward loads.
00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:46.560
Atlas specification sheet, Digit 5 product page.
00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:50.240
Still, payload numbers are not a full-task comparison.
00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:58.079
A heavy lift at the robot's side is different from holding the same load at arm's length, moving it quickly, and placing it accurately.
00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:04.800
Buyers should ask for payload performance at the required reach and cycle rate, not just the largest number on a brochure.
00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:10.959
Atlas has tactile sensors in its fingers and palm, which could support more delicate contact tasks.
00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:16.000
Digit 5 takes a more production-minded approach, swappable grippers for different jobs.
00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:23.839
Agility's own roadmap describes moving from totes and bins toward picking items, building kits, and handling cardboard boxes.
00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:29.519
That broader manipulation is a development goal, not yet a proven Digit 5 production feature.
00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:35.040
Atlas specification sheet, Agility on Digits Task Roadmap and Grippers, Verdict.
00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:38.319
Atlas wins the published payload and reach comparison.
00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:48.079
Digit swappable tools may be the more practical answer when a factory needs a durable tool for a known job, rather than a human-like hand for many possible jobs.
00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:49.759
Runtime and charging.
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Atlas publishes a clear swap plan.
00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:54.639
Digit 5 makes the bigger endurance claim.
00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:59.120
Atlas lists 4 hours of battery life, or 2 hours with heavy lifting.
00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:06.560
Boston Dynamics says the robot can walk to a charging station, swap its own battery in three minutes, and return to work.
00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:14.959
The sheet lists a 1, 5-hour full charge for a battery and 110 volt power, with 220 volts optional.
00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:23.199
That is a clear design for reducing time out of service, though the full self-swap work slow still needs to be proven in each site.
00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:34.879
Atlas specification sheet, Atlas product page, Agility advertises Digit 5 at a 10 to 1 run-to-charge ratio and up to 20 hours of work per 24-hour period.
00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:41.519
Its September 2026 company article says Digit 4 reached a 4 to 1 charge ratio in recent deployments.
00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:46.399
While the new design aims to improve that with short charging stops during workflow breaks.
00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:56.639
But Agility does not publish a guaranteed Digit 5 battery runtime in hours and open product sheet dock time or results from a production fleet using the new design.
00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:02.959
Treat the 10 to 1 and 20 hour figures as targets to verify, not as current Digit 4 performance.
00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:08.000
Agility Digit 5 product page, agility on battery and production design.
00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:08.879
Verdict.
00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:12.399
Atlas has the more concrete public charging specification.
00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:16.000
Digit 5 has the more ambitious endurance promise.
00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:21.360
For either robot, the useful number is productive hours under your payload and work cycle.
00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:23.360
Not a best case battery claim.
00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:25.120
Autonomy and fleet software.
00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:26.959
Digit has the deployed stack.
00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:28.399
Atlas has a roadmap.
00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:38.959
Boston Dynamics says Atlas can work with minimal supervision, learn a task quickly, share learned skills across a fleet, and connect with manufacturing and warehouse systems.
00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:46.879
Its spec sheet lists barcode and RFID integration, plus autonomous, tablet, and VR-operated modes.
00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:48.959
That is a strong product plan.
00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:59.360
Yet Atlas is still entering customer field testing, and Boston Dynamics does not publish a field record showing autonomous task completion, human intervention rates, or hours worked per unit.
00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:02.560
Atlas product page Atlas Specification Sheet.
00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:14.720
Boston Dynamics orbit software already manages its other robots, but its own orbit page describes Atlas support as eventually, while the Atlas page says customers will be able to integrate it into orbit.
00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:15.759
That matters.
00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:22.959
The existence of a mature fleet platform is useful, but it is not proof that Atlas fleet management is already a mature deployed feature.
00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:25.920
Orbi Fleet Management, Atlas product page.
00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:30.399
Agility's ARC Fleet Platform is already part of its digit deployments.
00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:40.240
Agility describes connections to warehouse and factory systems, including warehouse management, warehouse execution, and manufacturing execution software.
00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:51.200
In its published deployment process, Agility says its team maps the work area, connects digit to site Wi-Fi and ARC, assigns tasks, and adjusts the setup on site.
00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:57.519
This is more operationally grounded than a fleet integration that has not yet been publicly shown at Atlas scale.
00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:01.279
Agility deployment process, GXO deployment update.
00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:02.080
Verdict.
00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:04.799
Digit leads and fleet software evidence today.
00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:12.639
Atlas has attractive planned features, but industrial buyers should ask which ones are shipping on the exact Atlas version they can test.
00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:14.480
Safety and reliability.
00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:22.559
A safety feature is not a safety sign-off, Boston Dynamics, lists human detection and fenceless guarding on Atlas's specification sheet.
00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:35.840
Agility describes Digit 5 as designed for cooperative work near people, but Agility's current deployment guide says Digit 4 stays in a sectioned-off work cell and that Digit 5's cooperative safety features are still being developed.
00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:41.279
Agility also said it was preparing for outside safety evaluation and certification.
00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:47.440
So a promise of barrier-free work should not be confused with an already approved barrier-free deployment.
00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:53.519
Atlas specification sheet, agility deployment process, Nvidia Safety Collaboration Update.
00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:55.519
There is a reason to be strict here.
00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:58.399
These are heavy, dynamically balancing machines.
00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:03.679
A robot that can detect a person is not automatically safe for every task or aisle.
00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:11.360
The task, gripper, load, speed, floor, nearby machinery, and how people enter the work area all matter.
00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:23.120
For industrial buyers, the 2025 ISO 10218 standards distinguish safety requirements for the robot itself from requirements for integrating it into a complete robot system.
00:10:23.519 --> 00:10:32.480
OSHA says there is no single OSHA standard, specifically for robotics, and points employers to relevant workplace rules and consensus standards.
00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:38.799
Neither a vendor's safety feature list nor a successful pilot replaces a site-level risk review.
00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:49.919
ISO 10218-1 2025, ISO 10218-2 2025, OSHA Robotics Overview, OSHA Standards Information.
00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:55.200
On reliability, Digit has the better record, but not a complete public scorecard.
00:10:55.440 --> 00:11:06.639
Agility reports more than 65,000 hours of real-world operation across its Digit program and says Digit moved more than 100,000 totes at GXO's Georgia facility.
00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:14.159
Its chief robot officer has also said the company can reach about 99% reliability on a clear, well-defined task.
00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:21.279
That is a company-reported figure for a narrow task, not a published fleet-wide uptime or mean time between failures.
00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:25.360
GXO deployment update, Digit 5 Engineering QA.
00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:36.320
Atlas is designed with modular, field-replaceable parts, but Boston Dynamics has not published comparable Atlas operating hours, uptime, or repair rates from customer production.
00:11:36.559 --> 00:11:38.720
Digit wins on operating evidence.
00:11:38.960 --> 00:11:43.440
Neither robot has a public independently verified reliability scorecard.
00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:49.440
Production, customer deployments, and work that has proven Atlas, a serious factory program.
00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:51.279
Not yet a general purchase.
00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:59.360
Boston Dynamics and Hyundai have opened a Robotics MetaPlant application center at Hyundai Motor Group MetaPlant America in Georgia.
00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:04.720
Atlas robots are being trained for factory tasks such as sequencing automotive parts.
00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:12.480
The companies say they plan to expand the facility in 2027 and extend Atlas work to component assembly by 2030.
00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:22.399
Boston Dynamics still describes Atlas as a platform in development, so this is an important field validation step, not proof of a mature, broadly available production robot.
00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:24.720
Boston Dynamics MetaPlant announcement.
00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:27.279
The same announcement describes much larger plans.
00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:32.639
Hyundai Group says it intends to expand Atlas deployment across its plants and plans a U.S.
00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:36.080
production facility capable of 30,000 robots a year.
00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:40.159
Those are future plans and capacity claims, not current unit shipments.
00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:45.120
Boston Dynamics has not published an open list price or a general delivery schedule for Atlas.
00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:47.600
Boston Dynamics MetaPlant announcement.
00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:49.039
Atlas product page.
00:12:55.440 --> 00:13:00.320
GXO says it has used Digit to move totes and place them on conveyors in a live logistics site.
00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:04.159
Agility reports that the robot has moved more than 100,000 totes there.
00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:06.720
GXO plans to expand to two more U.S.
00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:13.200
facilities in 2027, initially using Digit 4, then transition to Digit 5 when it becomes commercially available.
00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:15.919
GXO and Agility's expansion announcement.
00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:28.080
Agility also reports a commercial agreement with Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada after a successful pilot and has announced a digit pilot with AGCO expected to begin in 2027.
00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:35.600
These are meaningful manufacturing signals, but the AGCO task is a future pilot, not a completed production result.
00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:40.159
Agility says Shafler also plans to use Digit across its plant network.
00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:46.159
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Agreement, AGCO pilot announcement, Shafler Agreement.
00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:53.919
Agility says its Salem Manufacturing Facility, Robofab, is designed for capacity of up to 10,000 robots a year.
00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:57.679
That is planned capacity, not a report of current output.
00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:08.320
For Digit 5, the company's announced timeline is early customer access in the first half of 2027, with general availability targeted by the end of 2027.
00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:19.600
Agility has also reported more than$300 million in multi-year Digit 5 commitments, but says the value depends on product features, specifications, and contractual milestones.
00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:21.679
It is not current period revenue.
00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:26.399
Agility's October 2026 commercial update, Digit 5 product page.
00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:28.480
Which robot fits which task?
00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:33.039
For the full table, please open this article on robotcomparisons.com.
00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:40.639
Atlas is the more compelling development platform for a manufacturer that wants to test heavier loads and a broader range of physical tasks.
00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:48.000
Digit is the more practical deployment choice for a logistics operator with a tote-moving job that matches its existing record.
00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:56.639
If the task is fixed and repetitive, a conventional robot arm, conveyor, or mobile robot may still be cheaper and simpler than either humanoid.
00:14:56.799 --> 00:15:02.080
Agility itself says some workflows are better suited to an AMR or fixed arm.
00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:05.919
Agility's deployment process atlas product page.
00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:09.519
Price, service costs, and integration needs.
00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:14.960
Neither company publishes a standard purchase price or service rate card for these robots.
00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:25.039
Agility has used a robots as a service, RAS agreement with GXO, meaning the customer pays for a managed service rather than simply buying a robot outright.
00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:27.519
The fee and service terms are not public.
00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:35.519
Atlas is available for customer discussions, but Boston Dynamics has not published a list price, service tariff, or general order schedule.
00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:46.240
GXO and Agility's RAS announcement, Atlas product page, that means a responsible cost comparison must be based on a customer's task, not a rumored robot price.
00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:57.679
Ask each vendor for cost per productive hour or completed tote, including integration, software, service, spare parts, safety work, charging equipment, and human interventions.
00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:03.600
For Atlas, ask whether battery swap hardware and orbit integration are included in the proposal.
00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:12.879
For digit, ask what the RAS fee covers, how much on-site support is included, and whether the proposed task uses Digit 4 or Digit 5.
00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:27.440
Agility's published deployment process includes checking whether a humanoid is right for the workflow, mapping the site, connecting to Wi-Fi and fleet software, configuring tasks, working through site-specific changes, and training customer staff.
00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:30.799
That is a useful model for any humanoid deployment.
00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:40.559
Atlas buyers should likewise plan for task training, factory system connections, safety review, and charging station integration, not just delivery of a robot.
00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:44.320
Agility Deployment Process, Atlas Specification Sheet.
00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:45.519
Final verdict.
00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:47.120
Digit is the workhorse.
00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:49.279
Atlas is the capability bet.
00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:56.960
Digit is the better choice for an industrial team that needs a humanoid working on a defined logistics task in the near term.
00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:01.919
It has live deployments, a customer service process, and operating history.
00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:03.919
The evidence is narrow but real.
00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:12.640
Atlas is the better choice for teams chasing the highest physical capability, especially higher stated payload, longer reach, and broad whole body movement.
00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:22.240
Its factory program with Hyundai is important, but Atlas is still in field testing, and its public production evidence is not yet comparable to Digit's tote moving record.
00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:24.799
So the title's choice has two answers.
00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:27.359
Atlas is the mobility champion on paper.
00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:29.920
Digit is the warehouse workhorse in practice.
00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:33.200
In an RFP, do not award the job to a demo.
00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:45.759
Require each supplier to show the exact robot version completing your task at your site, with measured throughput, intervention rate, uptime, payload, charging behavior, safety controls, and service terms.
00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:49.599
All links to sources are available in the text version of this article.
00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:54.079
You can find the full article at robotcomparisons.com slash blog.
00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:55.039
Thanks for listening.
00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:57.279
Thanks for listening to Robot Comparisons.
00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:02.160
If you found this episode valuable, make sure to subscribe so you never miss a new deep dive.
00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:09.200
For the full written breakdown, detailed spec sheets, and side by side comparisons, head over to robotcomparisons.com.
00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:14.880
That's R O B O T C O M P A R I S O N S dot com.
00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:17.519
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