First Commercial Humanoid Warehouse Deployment
GXO Logistics announced this week that its Columbus, Ohio fulfillment center is running 20 Agility Robotics Digit humanoid robots in full commercial operation — not a pilot or proof of concept, but a production deployment operating across all three shifts alongside human workers.
What the Robots Are Doing
The Digit units handle two primary tasks at the Columbus facility: moving empty totes from floor level to conveyor height (a repetitive lifting task with high injury rates for human workers), and "trailer unloading" — pulling goods from the back of truck trailers onto conveyor belts. Both tasks involve variable-height reaches, constrained physical spaces, and coordination with human workers, which is why humanoid form factor outperforms fixed automation here.
Safety Outcomes
GXO reports zero safety incidents involving the Digit units in 90 days of pre-commercial operation. The robots operate within clearly marked floor zones during full autonomous mode and pause immediately when a human enters their operating envelope, as detected by LiDAR and stereo camera systems.
Economics
GXO has not disclosed the lease pricing for Digit units, but Agility Robotics has indicated its target pricing is in the range of $50-70 per robot-hour, which is competitive with overnight labor rates in the US when overhead is included. The robots require approximately 1 hour of charging per 6 hours of operation.
What Comes Next
GXO has a framework agreement for Digit deployment across up to 12 facilities. Agility Robotics (owned by Amazon) is simultaneously building a robot factory in Salem, Oregon with a target capacity of 10,000 units per year.