Agility and GXO expand Digit humanoid deployment in U.S. logistics

Agility and GXO expand planned deployment of Digit humanoid in logistics

The partnership that began in 2023 is being extended to additional U.S. sites, with deployment expected to start in 2027 and a later transition to Digit 5 when commercially available.

AI Newsroom 2 min readPublished on this site: 28 Oct 2026, 12:57Original publication: 26 Oct 2026, 14:05Updated: 28 Oct 2026, 16:53

Illustration of a humanoid robot moving containers in an automated warehouse with conveyors

Illustrative

Image credit: Metal Industry RadarMetal Industry Radar branded category cover

Confirmed by multiple independent sources

Specialist publication

AI editorial synthesis

Three key points

01New GXO deployments are expected to begin in early 2027.
02The companies said Digit has already moved more than 100,000 totes at the Flowery Branch site.
03GXO did not disclose the investment behind the expansion or when ROI might be reached.

Why this matters · AI editorial analysis, not reported fact

For fabricators, machine shops, and industrial buyers, the story signals that humanoid robotics is moving from pilots toward broader operational use in warehouse environments. Even without confirmed ROI yet, these programs can shape future demand for automation hardware, software integration, and material-handling infrastructure.

Agility Robotics and GXO Logistics said they are broadening their partnership to place the Digit humanoid robot in additional GXO operations in the United States. The companies have worked together since 2023, and the latest step positions the project as a continuation of live logistics use rather than a standalone trial.

Under the expanded agreement, Digit is expected to support e-commerce fulfillment at GXO sites in Lebanon, Indiana, and at a location described by the companies as Statesville, Tennessee. Deployment of Digit 4 is expected to begin in early 2027. GXO also said it plans to shift to Digit 5 when that model becomes commercially available. Agility introduced Digit 5 last month and said the new version has redesigned legs, is intended to operate safely near people, and is aimed at a broader set of industrial workflows.

The partnership began with a late-2023 deployment at GXO’s Flowery Branch, Georgia, facility. According to the companies, that installation marked the industry’s first commercial use of humanoid robots in live operations and the first robotics-as-a-service agreement for humanoid robots. Since then, they said, Digit has moved more than 100,000 totes at the site while working alongside existing automation to transfer bins and place them onto conveyors. Fleet management and integration are handled through Agility’s Arc cloud platform.

Agility said it has logged more than 65,000 hours of real-world operation while working with industry safety standards. Founded in 2015 and based in Salem, Oregon, the company recently received U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approval for its planned merger with Churchill Capital Corp. XI as it prepares to go public. Agility also pointed to investments in manufacturing and support capacity, including its 70,000-sq.-ft. RoboFab facility, which it said can produce up to 10,000 robots per year, and a planned 50,000-sq.-ft. facility in Pittsburgh intended to support commercial deployments.

For GXO, the announcement fits into a broader warehouse automation strategy. The company has also tested humanoid systems including Apollo from Apptronik and Reflex from Reflex Robotics. However, during its August second-quarter earnings call, CEO Patrick Kelleher said GXO had not yet achieved a return on investment from humanoids and estimated that ROI was still a couple of years away. In the latest announcement, GXO did not disclose how much it is investing in the Digit expansion or when it expects returns, if any.

Overall, the news reflects continued momentum behind humanoid robotics in logistics, while leaving the economics of scale unresolved. For industrial users, the main takeaway is not only the robot itself, but the practical integration of humanoids into existing workflows, software stacks, conveyor systems, and site support infrastructure.