Agility Robotics on Thursday confirmed that it has laid off a “small quantity” of staff. The well-funded Oregon-based agency says the job loss is a part of a company-wide concentrate on commercialization efforts.
“As a part of Agility’s ongoing efforts to construction the corporate for achievement, we have now parted methods with a small variety of staff that weren’t central to core product growth and commercialization,” the corporate wrote in an announcement supplied to Trendster. “On the similar time, we’re targeted on assembly the extraordinary demand for bipedal robots throughout industrial use circumstances. Meaning ramping up manufacturing of Digit whereas persevering with to win top-tier international clients, and including new roles that meet these targets. We imagine immediately’s actions will enable us to concentrate on the areas that drive productization, commercialization, and manufacturing of Digit.”
Agility was forward of the commercial humanoid curve with its bipedal robotic, Digit. The agency was spun out of analysis performed at Oregon State College. There’s been no lack of curiosity in its spectacular legged robots over time. Ford was an early champion, as Agility explored Digit’s last-mile-delivery potential. Finally, nevertheless, these efforts have been positioned on the again burner, as the corporate shifted focus to understaffed warehouses.
There’s been no lack of funding for Agility’s efforts, regardless of a normal slowdown in investments in and adoption of robotic techniques, each of which might be seen as corrections following an enormous pandemic-fueled growth.
Two years in the past this month, the corporate introduced a $150 million Collection B. Amazon notably participated within the spherical by means of its Industrial Innovation Fund. The retail large subsequently introduced that it might pilot Digits as a part of its achievement heart workflow. The pilots have since ended, however neither firm has introduced subsequent steps.
Quite a lot of different humanoid robotics corporations have introduced their very own pilots in latest months, together with Determine with BMW and Apptronik with Mercedes. Final month at Modex, Agility showcased updates to Digit’s finish effectors designed particularly for automotive manufacturing workflows.
Agility has additionally made a lot of high-profile hires over the previous yr, together with Magic Leap CEO Peggy Johnson becoming a member of as chief government, Fetch CEO Melonee Smart as CTO and former Apple and Ford government Aindrea Campbell in as COO.
The corporate’s jobs web page at the moment lists 5 open roles, largely targeted on engineering and manufacturing.
