John Hurst, co-founder of Agility Robotics and professor at Oregon State University, discusses legged robot design, control, and logistics applications at the ICRA 2021 Legged Robots workshop.
Hurst says Agility aims to make robots that work in spaces designed for people. Different parts of locomotion call for different control speeds: fast responses handle ground contact, while foot placement happens around stride frequency. A planner must work with the balance system, since the best foot placement for a route may conflict with the placement needed to stay upright.
ATRIAS was built to study the physics of walking and running, using basic controllers without perception or planning. Hurst describes the move from ATRIAS to Cassie as an effort to reduce motors working against each other while adding capabilities through the feet, torso, and arms. He says the hardware depends on control software to turn its capabilities into useful behavior.
Cassie can handle stairs without knowing in advance whether the next step is level, higher, or lower. Hurst’s next step is to add perception and footstep planning while retaining that ability to recover when plans fail. In early work, a simple planner looked two steps ahead and adjusted stride length and leg energy; Digit also used slope estimates and depth cameras to navigate uneven ground and avoid obstacles.
Hurst sees repetitive warehouse tasks as a promising use for Digit, including moving totes and lifting packages from floor level to shelves. The robot can use fiducials to locate a box, choose a grasp, and plan where to carry it. Its dynamic control helps it remain balanced when the load changes or when perception and planning are imperfect.
For the next Digit version, Hurst describes a head for sensors and clear cues that help people understand the robot’s actions, along with a self-charging dock. He says the manipulators should support tasks such as opening doors and handling boxes, rather than copy a human hand. The team is also studying quieter, more compliant feet to reduce impact and wear in warehouses.
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Jonathan Hurst, co-founder of Agility Robotics, discusses Digit’s warehouse work, product development, safety, and the company’s path toward going public with a TechCrunch host at Disrupt 2026.
Peggy Johnson, CEO of Agility Robotics, discusses Digit 5’s safety, capabilities, and path to wider use with John Koetsier on NEXT.
Jonathan Hurst, co-founder of Agility Robotics, discusses the Digit 5 humanoid robot, its workplace uses and safety approach with Greg Nibler on FOX 12 Now in Oregon.
Daniel Diaz, chief business officer at Agility Robotics, joins John Koetsier on NEXT with John Koetsier to discuss Digit V5, commercial deployments, and working safely alongside people.
Agility Robotics co-founder and chief robot officer Jonathan Hurst joins John Furrier on theCUBE at MACHINA in Paris to discuss Digit’s path to commercial use, human-centered workflows, robot learning, and safety.
Peggy Johnson, CEO of Agility Robotics, discusses Digit’s design, AI training, safety, production plans and market with the Abundance Summit host.
