Agility Digit V5 Drops Signature Bird Legs for Industrial Pragmatism

Some humanoid robot designs are instantly recognizable. Agility Robotics' Digit was one, thanks to its backward-bending bird legs—an engineering curiosity and a strong brand signature.

That distinctive, slightly odd look is now history as Agility prioritizes industrial practicality over personality.

With Digit V5, the most striking change is its completely redesigned legs. Agility has cut its signature feature and replaced it with ordinary, more human-like legs.

The shift is not cosmetic. It reverses the design philosophy: trade quirky individuality for brutal practicality. The signal is clear—Agility no longer wants to show off at tech expos; it wants to dominate factory floors.

The old design from Cassie used reverse joints to get closer to shelves and bins, useful in logistics. After three years of commercial deployment and over 65,000 hours, Agility learned hard requirements trump clever tricks.

The old approach was optimized for walking and running, but customers needed strength and reliability.

Digit V5 uses humanoid legs with one core goal: strength. Co-founder and Chief Robotics Officer Jonathan Hurst said the old design could not squat properly because its ankles hit the ground.

New cycloidal actuators let Digit perform standard squats and repeatedly lift 50 lb (22.7 kg). That figure matches OSHA's single-person lifting limit, a hard threshold for any robot working alongside humans in U.S. factories.