LatAm e-commerce giant Mercado Libre taps Agility Robotics' Digit humanoid in warehouse automation push
The tie-up underlines how global e-commerce and logistics operators are moving from pilots to commercial deployment of humanoid robots
Mercado Libre, Latin America’s largest e-commerce and fintech platform, has struck a commercial agreement with Agility Robotics to deploy Digit, a humanoid robot, in its fulfillment operations in San Antonio, Texas, with an eye to expanding across the region. The robot will first handle warehouse tasks that support order fulfillment, before the partners broaden its use to other logistics workflows in Mercado Libre’s network.
The companies say the rollout is designed to address roles that are hard to staff, especially repetitive and physically demanding tasks in warehouses. By shifting those jobs to robots, Mercado Libre expects to improve ergonomic safety, reduce labour gaps and lift productivity, allowing employees to move into work that adds more value.
The tie-up underlines how global e-commerce and logistics operators are moving from pilots to commercial deployment of humanoid robots as labour markets tighten and service expectations rise. Agility’s Digit, which has already moved more than 100,000 totes in live commerce operations, is pitched as a way to slot automation into existing facilities without major redesigns, while its cloud platform, Agility Arc, links fleets of robots to warehouse-management systems, conveyors and mobile robots.
For Mercado Libre, which operates in 18 Latin American countries, humanoids offer a route to scale logistics capacity without matching it one-for-one with headcount.
“At Mercado Libre, we are constantly exploring how emerging technologies can elevate our operations and improve the experience for our employees and millions of users,” said Agustin Costa, the firm’s senior vice-president of shipping. “Our partnership with Agility Robotics and the deployment of Digit in our facilities is a significant step forward in our vision to create a safer, more efficient, and adaptable logistics network.”
Digit is a human-scale robot that walks, lifts and moves materials and totes through existing aisles and workflows, designed to be dropped into standard warehouses without costly infrastructure changes. Agility says Digit can learn new tasks and adapt to changing workflows, filling high-turnover roles and keeping goods moving through continuous, repeatable processes.
The deal adds Mercado Libre to a client list that includes GXO, Schaeffler and Amazon, all experimenting with humanoids in industrial settings. Daniel Diez, Agility’s chief business officer, said the company is “incredibly proud” to support Mercado Libre’s workforce and operations and argued that autonomous humanoid robots are now capable of “performing meaningful work and delivering real value” in commercial facilities.