The humanoid robot sector has come on leaps and bounds this year, with new companies joining the race to create an advanced robot for the workplace, and even the home.
The latest entrant in the humanoid robot space is Germany-based Agile Robotics, which has just unveiled the Agile ONE. And it looks very impressive.
It’s designed primarily for a range of industrial operations, among them material gathering and transport, pick-and-place tasks, machine tending, tool use, and fine manipulation. The new robot has a walking speed of 2 meters per second and can carry payloads of up to 20 kilograms. But there’s a lot more to it than that.
Having watched the video and sifted through the accompanying materials, there are three specific reasons why the Agile ONE stands out.
Dexterous hands
The new robot appears to have extremely dexterous hands, capable of dealing with objects as small as a single screw, according to a video (top) released by the company on Wednesday. Each hand features modular fingers, 21 joints, and integrated force and tactile sensors that enable “precise manipulation, reliable grasping, and natural interaction with a variety of objects,” the company says.
Human-like hands, or simply hands that can do things, are one of the greatest challenges for developers of humanoid robots, and so the first company to nail the design could find itself sailing past its competitors. Has Agile hit the mark? We’ll have to see it properly tested to know for sure, but it certainly looks to have created something special here.
Layered AI system
Agile claims to have developed a “groundbreaking” approach to humanoid intelligence through what it describes as a “layered AI architecture,” with each layer specialized for a distinct level of cognition and control, specifically, strategic reasoning and task planning, rapid response, and fine motor precision. The result, the company says, is a “highly adaptive robot capable of merging cognitive depth with tactile finesse.” If Agile has truly succeeded in blending these two areas, it would be a major boost for the company. But again, we’ll need to see more evidence to see if it’s really achieved this goal.
Human-friendly design
Agile wants its robots to not only work alongside humans, but to be warmly welcomed by them, too. With that in mind, it’s designed its robot with bright colors and responsive eyes using LEDs that can express states such as happiness, curiosity, and attentiveness. The Agile ONE also has a chest-based information display and advanced speech capability to enhance its communication abilities.
“At Agile Robots we believe the next industrial revolution is Physical AI: intelligent, autonomous, and flexible robots that can perceive, understand and act in the physical world,” said Zhaopeng Chen, who’s led Agile since launching it in 2018.
Related: This footage of 100s of humanoid robots looks amazing — but is it real?He added: “The real value for our industrial customers isn’t just a stand-alone intelligent humanoid, but an entire intelligent production system. We see Agile ONE working seamlessly alongside our other robotic solutions, each part of the system connected and learning from each other.”
So, for now at least, Agile is intent on deploying its new humanoid robot in the workplace rather than the home, although it could follow in the footsteps of California-based Figure and later adapt its robot for home use, too.
Looking ahead, Agile Robots plans to begin full-scale production of the Agile ONE in early 2026 at a new manufacturing facility in Bavaria, Germany, followed by deployment at customer facilities for hands-on operational training and real-world use.
