What It Really Takes to Deploy Humanoid Robots at Scale | Agility Robotics CTO

What does it really take to move humanoid robots from impressive demos to real-world deployment?

In this on-stage talk from our Humanoid Robot Forum, Pras Velagapudi, CTO of Agility Robotics, cuts through the hype to explain what it takes to bring humanoid robots into production environments—today, not decades from now.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in robotics research and industrial automation, Pras shares hard-earned lessons from deploying Digit, Agility’s humanoid robot, in live logistics and manufacturing facilities. He explores why “cool videos” are only the tip of the iceberg, and what actually matters when customers are measuring ROI, reliability, safety, and performance at scale.

Key topics include:
Where humanoid robots fit within the broader “automation village”
Why mobile manipulation is a uniquely valuable capability, and when humanoids don’t make sense
How Agility builds skills progressively, from simple tasks to complex workflows
The real path to safety, from caged work cells to cooperative and collaborative environments
How AI is used as a measurable, practical tool—not a magic solution—in production robotics
Lessons learned from year-long humanoid deployments operating full industrial shifts

This session offers a grounded, experience-driven perspective on the future of humanoid robots in logistics, manufacturing, and beyond and why industrial environments are the proving ground for what comes next.