GXO Tests Humanoid Workforce: Logistics Giant Pilots Robots from Agility, Apptronik, and Reflex

A Reflex Robotics Humanoid Robot working at a GXO warehouse — A Reflex Robotics humanoid at work. Image GXO

GXO Logistics Deploys Humanoid Robots from Three Vendors in Warehouse Trials

Logistics giant GXO is taking a multi-pronged approach to exploring the potential of humanoid robots in its warehouse operations. The company confirmed it is actively piloting robots from Agility Robotics, Apptronik, and Reflex Robotics across different customer sites, signaling a significant commitment to evaluating this emerging category of automation.

Exploring the Multi-Task Potential

GXO's Chief Automation Officer, Adrian Stoch, indicated that the primary draw of humanoids lies in their theoretical ability to perform multiple tasks within a warehouse environment, driven by advancements in AI. This contrasts with much of the existing warehouse automation, which typically focuses on single, specific functions. "We are going really broad and aggressive on the category," Stoch told Business Insider, highlighting the company's strategic interest.

However, the current reality is more modest. The robots in GXO's trials are, for now, concentrating on single, defined tasks. Agility Robotics' Digit is deployed at a Spanx facility in Atlanta, transferring totes from a mobile robot system (6 River Systems) to a conveyor belt. A humanoid from Reflex Robotics is operating at a site for a sports apparel client, moving empty cardboard from Locus Robotics bots to a recycling machine. Meanwhile, Apptronik's Apollo is part of a pilot with an unnamed technology customer, though its specific task is still under discussion.

Agility Humanoid Robots working — Agility robots doing hard work. Image: Agility

Warehouses as Living Labs

GXO positions its facilities as 'lab environments' for these robotics vendors, offering real-world operational feedback to help refine the technology. Stoch described the pilots as a "risk-free proposition" for the robotics companies, allowing them to test and iterate on their designs based on input from GXO operators and automation specialists. The company noted that the Digit pilot is currently the most advanced among the humanoid trials.

Hurdles Remain for Scaled Deployment

Despite the activity, GXO acknowledges that widespread adoption is not imminent. The scale of the pilots remains small – for instance, only two Digit units are currently active within one warehouse, a tiny fraction of GXO's vast network of over 1,000 facilities and 150,000 employees. Key challenges identified by Stoch include improving the robots' dexterity, enhancing their AI-driven ability to learn and switch between tasks, and achieving manufacturing scale.

Still, the timeline for broader viability might be shorter than some expect. "We're not at wide-scale deployment and commercial viability yet, but we're not 10 years away, that's for sure," Stoch stated.

Broader Context and Questions

The move by GXO reflects growing interest in humanoid robots across various sectors, with companies like Tesla and Meta also investing heavily. Proponents see them as the next step in physical AI. However, skepticism remains regarding the efficiency and necessity of the humanoid form factor for all tasks. As Forrester analyst Paul Miller previously noted, the key question is determining when a humanoid robot is genuinely the optimal solution compared to other forms of automation or human labor. GXO's multi-vendor trials represent a significant real-world test case in the ongoing effort to answer that question.