Toyota Engages Humanoid Robots in Canadian Manufacturing Plant
Toyota’s Canadian manufacturing subsidiary, after a year-long pilot project, has taken a significant leap towards automation. The company has contracted seven humanoid robots to work in a plant that manufactures RAV4 SUVs, a move that marks a landmark shift towards the adoption of robots-as-a-service. You can read more about this significant development Here.
Digit Robots to Enhance Operational Efficiency
“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). The Digit robot, built by Agility Robotics, is designed to work in industrial environments without humans nearby, often bridging two automated production lines. In this case, the robots will be unloading totes full of auto parts from an automated warehouse tugger.
The Challenge of Integrating Humanoid Robots in Workplaces
While the deployment of seven robots might seem a small step, integrating humanoid robots in real workplaces poses significant challenges. Demonstrating a capability in a lab is one thing, but integrating it into a company’s workflow, including aspects like maintenance and charging, isn’t easy. As Ram Devarajulu, a VP at Cambridge Consultants, pointed out at the Humanoids Summit in late 2025, understanding the task and real workflows in the field is crucial for widespread adoption.
Agility Robotics Leading the Way
Agility Robotics, the company behind the Digit robot, is among the leaders in transitioning robots from labs to real workplaces. Their robots are working in similar capacities for logistics providers like GXO, Schaeffler, and Amazon. Agility has a proprietary cloud-based software package called Arc for users to manage fleets of their robots, and they believe AI will be crucial in reducing deployment costs. “Cost of deployment … can be more than the price of the robot by a lot,” Pras Velagapudi, Agility’s CTO, said. “AI tools let us decrease that cost of deployment, decrease the amount of time getting the robot configured and getting it operating at a level of performance that they want.”
A New Era for Humanoid Robots in Industry
Through this engagement, TMMC and Agility aim to pioneer other use cases that could relieve human workers of repetitive physical tasks and prioritize more valuable work. Preparations are also underway for a next-generation robot that will be safe to operate alongside human workers. As of now, humanoid robots that are strong enough to lift heavy loads are considered too unreliable to operate autonomously around people.
Other Players in the Field
Besides TMMC and Agility, there are other companies that are exploring the use of humanoid robots in industrial settings. For instance, Figure AI tested its Figure 02 robots in a BMW factory for 10 months, unloading 90,000 parts during that period. Other companies deploying humanoids in pilot programs include Apptronic, Unitree, Tesla, Boston Dynamics, 1X Technology, and Reflex Robotics.
The integration of humanoid robots in Toyota’s Canadian manufacturing plant represents a significant milestone in the industry’s shift towards automation. It sets the stage for a new era in manufacturing, where automation and human collaboration go hand in hand, resulting in increased operational efficiency and improved worker experience.
