Agility Digit 5 vs Boston Dynamics Atlas: Logistics Against Industrial Research

Digit 5 has a payload of 22.7 kg, about 40% more than the previous v4 generation, and its vertical reach grew from 5.5 to 7.2 feet (about 1.7 and 2.2 m). Atlas lifts 50 kg briefly and 30 kg continuously, stands 190 cm tall, weighs 90 kg and has 56 degrees of freedom (DOF). For Digit 5 we have neither a degrees-of-freedom count nor a height. The model sheet lists a mass of 128.8 kg, which for such a payload and dimensions needs confirming with the manufacturer, so do not base a decision on it.

Energy is what separates them most. Digit 5 runs for 1.5 hours on a charge, but charges in 90 minutes at a stated 10:1 ratio, which is meant to yield up to 20 hours of work a day with a good schedule. That is different arithmetic from Atlas, which runs for 4 hours and swaps its own battery in under 3 minutes. Atlas also has an IP67 enclosure, an operating range of −20 to 40 °C and an NVIDIA Jetson Thor T5000 computer (NVIDIA Jetson) with Google DeepMind models. Digit 5 stands out for a safety architecture meant to allow work beside people without fences. The standards for such machines are described in “Robot Safety Standards”, but this states the manufacturer’s intent, not a certificate.

Neither robot has a public price. For Digit 5 a robots-as-a-service model is expected, as with the v4, so even after launch there will be no classic price list to compare. Early access is planned for the first half of 2027, general availability for the end of 2027. Digit 5 was shown in September 2026 and has no deployments yet. Its predecessor, the Digit v4, works at customers such as Amazon, GXO Logistics, Schaeffler, Mercado Libre and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (Agility Digit).

Atlas is reserved for 2026 for the Hyundai Robotics Metaplant Application Center and Google DeepMind. Hyundai plans 30,000 units a year by 2028 but has not disclosed a per-unit price. Neither robot is available in Poland today. The Polish robotisation tax relief currently covers spending from 2022–2026, and an extension has been announced without a passed law (“Poland's Robotization Tax Relief”); since Digit 5 will not appear before 2027, do not count on it. For budget planning, “Humanoid Robot TCO: How to Calculate Total Cost” will help.

Digit 5 is a robot for the warehouse: moving totes, picking up from receiving areas, feeding lines. More about it in “Agility Digit in Warehouses”. IEEE Spectrum wrote in September 2026 that it may be the first humanoid safe enough to work close to people; that is an opinion, not a certificate. The higher payload opens the way to heavier bins in the factory, where natural candidates are current v4 customers, though the manufacturer has not confirmed who will get early access. Digit 5 is not meant for precise work with hands.

Atlas has two confirmed workplaces: Hyundai plants and DeepMind labs (laboratories). The CES 2026 demo, in which it moved car parts, was by reports run under remote control. That gives you a platform for research into robot learning, not a tool to buy. Its history is described in “Boston Dynamics Electric Atlas”.