AGCO to Test Agility's Digit Humanoid Robots at Kansas Plant in 2027

AGCO and Agility Robotics have signed a commercial agreement to put AI-powered humanoid robots on a factory floor, with a U.S. pilot set to begin in 2027 at AGCO's Hesston, Kansas, production facility. The deal makes AGCO the latest manufacturer — after Toyota, GXO and Schaeffler — to deploy Agility's Digit robot in live operations.

The pilot supports AGCO's push toward more flexible, automated factories, the company said. Digit will initially handle assembly and production support work: sorting and stacking parts and placing totes in storage. AGCO framed the move as a way to automate repetitive and physically demanding tasks, arguing this could improve workplace safety and operational efficiency while freeing employees for other work.

"This strategic relationship views humanoid robotics and AI as essential 'teammates' in building flexible, intelligent factories," said Thomas Enghof, AGCO's director of manufacturing technology. "They unlock automation in complex, human-centric workflows, augmenting human capabilities by absorbing repetitive, strenuous or hazardous tasks. By pairing human ingenuity with robust robotic engineering and strict safety governance, we create resilient manufacturing systems that empower the workforce and deliver measurable business value."

What does the deal actually change?

For now, the announcement changes less than the language suggests. A pilot starting in 2027 means no robots are working at Hesston today, and the parties have not disclosed how many Digit units will run, what the agreement is worth, or which production lines they will serve. AGCO named no cost, headcount or efficiency targets to measure the pilot against.

Enghof's reference to "strict safety governance" and "measurable business value" points to commitments AGCO has not yet quantified. Until the company publishes baselines — injury rates, throughput, labor hours per unit — the safety and efficiency claims rest on expectation, not results. Readers should also note that no supplier terms, timeline beyond 2027, or scale-up conditions appear in the announcement.

Daniel Diez, chief business officer of Salem, Oregon-based Agility Robotics, cast the partnership in similarly forward-looking terms. "We're excited to work alongside AGCO as they continue to lead the way in agricultural innovation," Diez said. "By introducing Agility's Digit humanoid robots into AGCO's operations, we have an opportunity to strengthen manufacturing processes, support employees in demanding tasks and demonstrate how advanced robotics can create measurable impact across modern production environments."

Even that statement is framed as opportunity, not outcome. "Opportunity to strengthen" and "demonstrate how" signal a test phase whose results remain to be seen.

How the robots are meant to work

According to Agility Robotics, Digit uses artificial intelligence to adapt to changing workflows — the feature that separates it from fixed, single-purpose automation. The company said its cloud-based Agility Arc platform manages robot fleets and is designed to let companies integrate automation without extensive infrastructure changes. That claim matters for older plants like Hesston, where retrofit costs, not robot prices, often decide whether automation proceeds.

Agility did not publish adoption figures for its existing customers Toyota, GXO and Schaeffler, so there is no public track record to judge how Digit performs at industrial scale.

For AGCO, whose equipment dealers and farm customers track manufacturing efficiency indirectly through delivery times and pricing, the practical question is whether the 2027 pilot converts into lower production costs or faster output. Until data from Hesston arrives, the agreement is a stated intent with a start date, and observers should treat promised safety and efficiency gains as unverified.