Toyota Canada Deploys Humanoid Robots After Year-Long Trial

Humanoid robots are officially clocking in at one of the world's largest car manufacturers, and they're here to make life easier for human workers.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, which builds over 535,000 vehicles a year, just signed a deal to deploy Agility Robotics' Digit humanoid robots across its Ontario facilities. The decision came after a successful year-long pilot that tested three of the bipedal machines in real factory conditions.

These aren't your average industrial robots. Digit stands on two legs, walks through facilities designed for humans, and handles tasks without requiring expensive facility redesigns. The robots will load and unload totes from automated tuggers, freeing up workers from some of the most physically demanding and repetitive jobs on the production line.

Toyota plans to start with seven additional robots, with more coming if they prove their worth. The company employs over 8,500 people at its Cambridge and Woodstock plants, which have been building vehicles since 1988.

The partnership goes beyond just moving boxes. Toyota and Agility Robotics are exploring how automation can tackle the extremely repetitive and physically taxing tasks that often lead to worker strain and injury. The goal is to let employees focus on more valuable, less physically punishing work.

The Ripple Effect

Toyota joins a growing wave of major companies betting on humanoid helpers. Amazon, GXO Logistics, and Mercedes-Benz are all testing similar robots in their facilities. In 2024, logistics giant GXO became the first company to deploy Digit commercially at a Spanx facility in Georgia.

The timing matters. Global labor shortages have left manufacturers struggling to fill monotonous, process-oriented positions. These robots could solve that problem while simultaneously improving conditions for human workers who remain.

Agility Robotics designed Digit to learn continuously and adapt to new tasks using artificial intelligence. The company is also developing what it calls the first "cooperatively safe" humanoid robot, designed specifically to work alongside people without safety cages or barriers.

With Toyota investing $1.1 billion to build its next generation RAV4 at these same Canadian plants, the company is clearly planning for a future where humans and humanoids work side by side. For the thousands of workers on those factory floors, that future might mean less back pain and more interesting work.