There are many robot factories, but none of the robots they produce are similar to humans. That is about to change. “The world’s first humanoid robot manufacturing factory in Salem, Oregon, may open up later this year,” reports Interesting Engineering.
Company Agility Robotics recently announced that preparations are in all swing for the opening of this manufacturing unit named “RoboFab.” The Agility’s press release mentioned that the facility’s construction began last year.
“The opening of our factory marks a pivotal moment in the history of robotics: the beginning of the mass production of commercial humanoid robots,” said Agility Robotics’ co-founder and CEO Damion Shelton.
Factory can make 10,000 robots per year.
In 2020, the company introduced a bipedal and headless robot named Digit. The robot, designed and built by the company, marked a significant leap in the world of robotics, notably in legged movement and humanoid design.
“We built Digit to solve difficult problems in today’s workforce, like injuries, burnout, high turnover, and unfillable labor gaps, with the ultimate vision of enabling humans to be more human. When you’re building new technology to improve society, the most important milestone is when you’re able to mass produce that technology at a scale where it can have a real, widespread impact,” added Shelton.
Now, its 70,000-square-foot facility will produce over 10,000 advanced versions of Digit annually.
The company has set a target of producing hundreds of Digit robots in the first year after its launch. After the first year, it plans to scale production to around 10,000 robots yearly.
Once fully operational, RoboFab is expected to have over 500 employees in Salem.
Robot waiters are increasingly being used in South Korean restaurants, which are facing a labor shortage.
In other news, Doctors recently did the first robotic liver transplant in America. Robots can fit in small spaces in people’s bodies that a surgeon can’t reach without cutting through living tissue, or doing other collateral damage. Doctors recently used a robot to carry out incredibly complex spinal surgery.
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