Agility Robotics, maker of Digit humanoid, exploring wheeled robots

This wheeled robot rendering appeared in Agility Robotics’ recent Digit 5 launch video. | Why would a company that has spent so much time touting the benefits of legged robots choose to highlight a wheeled robot?

We reached out to Agility Robotics CEO and chief robot officer Jonathan Hurst to ask why the company chose to tease a wheeled robot in the video. His answer confirmed what we had speculated about on The Robot Report Podcast: Agility was planting a seed about what could come next. Hurst told The Robot Report that Agility is indeed exploring wheeled robots. “We’re exploring a range of robot designs and form factors, including wheels, to address different operating environments and customer needs,” Hurst said via email. “As the safety, reliability and capabilities of legged robots continue to advance, I expect they’ll become the right solution for an increasingly broad range of applications. In the meantime, we’re interested in exploring other approaches that could help us bring robotics to more environments sooner.” We then asked whether Agility envisions a wheeled version of Digit or an entirely new robot with a different name and form factor, such as a one-armed mobile manipulator. There is also no timeline for if and when a wheeled robot would come to market. “Too early to say!,” Hurst said. “I have guesses and inclinations, but really we’re just starting.” Legs vs. wheels The legs-versus-wheels debate has been one of the most common conversations in robotics the last few years. Wheels offer greater stability, simpler mechanics and lower energy consumption in flat, predictable environments. Legs remain valuable in environments designed for humans, where robots need to navigate stairs, obstacles and other uneven terrain. The form factor takes on added importance as Agility works to commercialize Digit. Agility is going public through a SPAC with Churchill Capital Corp. XI.