Agile Robots and Hitachi partner on Physical AI for manufacturing

Each side brings something different. Hitachi contributes its Physical AI technology, its system integration capabilities and more than 110 years of manufacturing and operational technology experience. We contribute our AI-powered robotics portfolio: robotic arms, mobile robots and our humanoid Agile ONE, all running on our AgileCore software platform for simulation, control and orchestration.

Factories have been automating for decades, but a lot of work still needs people. Handling parts, loading machines, assembly, changing a line over to a new product, moving material between processes: all these tasks involve variation, and conventional automation handles variation badly. A robot programmed for one part in one position struggles when the part or position changes. 

Labor shortages make this more pressing every year. Physical AI offers a way forward. Instead of repeating a fixed sequence, a robot learns to adjust when conditions change, much as an experienced worker does. The Agile Robots – Hitachi partnership is aimed squarely at tasks like these. 

Physical AI capabiities. We'll combine Hitachi's Physical AI technology and operational know-how with our robots and software to advance how robotic systems can tackle complex real-world tasks.

Edge AI chips. We'll use Hitachi's edge AI semiconductors in our robots helping them process sensing data quickly and efficiently.

Deployment. Together we’ll work on commercializing and bringing Physical AI products to market, rolling them out in real production. Hitachi will offer them through HMAX Industry, its portfolio of industrial AI solutions, and we will offer them to our own customers.

The ambition goes beyond single robots. In the longer term, the partnership aims to coordinate whole operations, with multiple robots, machines and people working together, to raise productivity, quality and safety.

Dr. Zhaopeng Chen, Founder and CEO of Agile Robots:

"Physical AI will only transform industry if it works reliably on the factory floor, and at scale. Hitachi brings more than a century of manufacturing and operational technology expertise, a global customer base and its edge AI semiconductor technology. We contribute AI-powered robotics solutions, from robotic arms and mobile robots to our humanoid Agile ONE, that are already proven in industrial operations worldwide. Together, we want to bring physical intelligence into production environments around the world and make flexible, autonomous manufacturing a reality for our customers."

Yoshimitsu Takagi, Vice President and Executive Officer, CEO of Industrial Solutions Business Unit, Connective Industries Sector, Hitachi, Ltd.:

"This co-creation partnership with Agile Robots marks an important step forward in accelerating Hitachi's Physical AI business. Hitachi's strength lies in combining deep expertise in IT, OT, and products to continuously create value from AI. By integrating Agile Robots' advanced robotics technologies with Hitachi's capabilities, we will deploy Physical AI that enables not only intelligent robots but also the autonomous operation of entire factories."

Read Hitachi's full press release here: Hitachi enters strategic co-creation partnership with Agile Robots to develop the intelligence for AI robotics : Hitachi Global

For more information, please contact: communications@~@agile-robots.com