Toyota manufactures seven Agility humanoid robots at a Canadian factory

After a year-long pilot project, the Canadian company Toyota has developed seven humanoid robots to work in a factory building RAV4 SUVs under a contract for robots as a service.

“After evaluating several robots, we are excited to deploy Digit to improve team member skills and increase efficiency in our manufacturing facilities,” Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) president Tim Hollander said in a statement.

The Digit Robot in question is made by Agility Roboticsa company based out of Oregon State University in 2015. Digit is designed to work in unmanned factories, often connecting two production lines. In this case, robots will be unloading totes full of car parts from a warehouse tugger.

While seven robots in action may seem like a small step compared to metal sizzle reels of people doing backflips, putting humanoid robots in the workplace is rare and difficult. Demonstrating a capability in the lab is one thing, but integrating it into a company’s workflow — including processing and billing — is not easy.

“When technology companies spend real time in the field to understand the work that needs to be managed, the real movements that happen … that’s when we will see a huge increase in adoption,” said Ram Devarajulu, VP at Cambridge Consultants, at the Humanoids Conference in late 2025.

Agility is one of the leading manufacturers of robotics in the lab, with Digits working similarly for suppliers such as GXO, Schaeffler, and Amazon. The company has a cloud-based software called Arc for users to control their robots, and says AI will be important in reducing shipping costs.

“The cost of delivery … can be more than the cost of the robot,” Pras Velagapudi, Agility’s CTO, said in an interview last year. “AI tools help us reduce shipping costs, reduce maintenance time for the robot and make it do the job it wants.”

TMMC and Agility have used this as an opportunity to initiate other cases to help the physical workers again and again and prioritize the important work.

The company is also planning a next-generation robot that will be safe to work alongside human workers; current humanoid robots that are strong enough to carry heavy loads are considered unreliable for working around humans.

Competitor Image AI to be tested its Figure 02 robots in a BMW factory for 10 months last year, which the company said dropped 90,000 parts. Other companies deploying humanoids in driving applications include Apptronic, Unitree, Tesla, Boston Dynamics, 1X Technology, and Reflex Robotics.