Toyota deploys seven Agility humanoid robots in Canadian plant

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada has contracted seven Digit humanoid robots from Agility Robotics to operate in a facility building RAV4 SUVs. The agreement is structured as a robots-as-a-service deal, which is a leasing model for hardware. In this facility, the robots will unload totes full of auto parts from an automated warehouse tugger, a type of material transport vehicle.

“After evaluating a number of robots, we are excited to deploy Digit to improve the team member experience and further increase operational efficiency in our manufacturing facilities,” said Tim Hollander, President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC).

While deploying seven robots to handle manual tasks is a small step compared to laboratory demonstrations, integrating humanoid robots into actual industrial workflows is rare and difficult. Moving beyond lab environments requires factories to manage real-world challenges, including maintenance and charging.

Agility Robotics, which was spun out of Oregon State University in 2015, is leveraging artificial intelligence tools to address these integration challenges. The company uses its cloud-based software package, Arc, to manage fleets of its robots. Pras Velagapudi, Agility’s CTO, noted in an interview last year that the cost of deploying a robot can often significantly exceed the price of the hardware itself. He explained that artificial intelligence tools help lower these deployment costs and reduce the time required to configure the robots to perform at the desired level. Agility has also deployed its Digit robots with logistics providers including GXO, Schaeffler, and Amazon.

Other robotics companies are also attempting to transition from laboratory testing to factory floors. Competitor Figure AI, for instance, tested its robots at a BMW factory for 10 months last year, during which the company stated the robots unloaded 90,000 parts. Other firms deploying humanoid robots in pilot programs include Apptronic, Unitree, Tesla, Boston Dynamics, 1X Technology, and Reflex Robotics.

However, widespread adoption depends on tech companies understanding actual workflows. Ram Devarajulu, a VP at Cambridge Consultants, remarked at the Humanoids Summit in late 2025 that adoption will increase significantly once technology companies spend time in the field to understand actual workflows and tasks.

Additionally, safety remains a significant barrier to full integration. Digit robots are intended to work in industrial environments without humans nearby. This separation is necessary because current humanoid robots that are strong enough to lift heavy loads are still considered too unreliable to operate autonomously around people.

Why it matters

Toyota’s deployment of seven humanoid robots in a Canadian manufacturing plant marks a rare and difficult integration of humanoid technology into real-world industrial workflows, moving beyond lab demonstrations.