1. Abstract / Summary
Agility Robotics has integrated Doodle Labs’ Mesh Rider Radios into its flagship bipedal robot, Digit, enabling reliable, low-latency communication across warehouse, logistics, and industrial environments. Leveraging Doodle Labs’ RM-1700-21N3 and RM-1700-22O3 models operating on 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz, Digit gains the wireless resilience and bandwidth needed to support autonomous navigation, real-time teleoperation, and mission-critical updates in dynamic and RF-dense environments.
2. Background
Digit is a bipedal robot designed to work alongside humans in logistics and industrial workflows, particularly in warehouses, fulfillment centers, and shipping operations. Its capabilities include autonomous walking, object handling, and task execution in semi-structured environments.
As Agility Robotics scaled deployments of Digit with major partners—including global logistics providers—the need for robust, adaptable communication became critical. Warehouse and industrial environments often suffer from high RF interference, dead zones, and complex routing challenges, making commercial off-the-shelf radios insufficient for reliable performance.
3. The Program or Mission Need
Agility required a wireless communications solution that would:
- Support real-time control, telemetry, and video streaming
- Maintain robust connectivity in complex indoor RF environments
- Operate across multiple frequency bands to enable dynamic adaptation
- Be small and lightweight enough to integrate directly into Digit’s electronics bay
- Provide secure and interference-resilient communication during dense fleet operations
4. The Evaluation Landscape
Several commercial and industrial radio platforms were tested, but most failed to deliver on three key requirements: low-latency performance, RF resilience, and multi-band flexibility. Doodle Labs stood out due to its proven performance in robotics and autonomy use cases, its compact form factors, and its dynamic networking capabilities.
5. Selection Criteria
Doodle Labs’ RM-1700 series radios were chosen based on the following priorities:
- 900 MHz for improved penetration and non-line-of-sight coverage inside warehouses
- 2.4 GHz for high-throughput communication in open environments
- Compact Nano and OEM form factors for tight integration
- Real-time support for control loops, video feeds, and telemetry
- Robust link stability in environments with reflective surfaces, metal racks, and mobile interference sources
- Secure AES encryption for fleet-level data protection
6. Why the Partner Chose Doodle Labs
Agility Robotics selected Doodle Labs as a strategic communications partner due to the platform’s:
- Field-proven performance in dynamic robotic applications
- Software-defined flexibility for switching bands and adapting to deployment conditions
- Support for mesh networking in future multi-robot coordination
- Compatibility with ROS-based autonomy stacks and IP-based payloads
- Enterprise-grade support, documentation, and integration tooling
Doodle Labs radios aligned with Agility’s vision of deploying scalable, smart robotic systems that adapt to real-world complexity.
7. Solution Overview
Digit robots are equipped with:
- RM-1700-21N3 radio operating in the 900 MHz band for long-range and NLOS communication
- RM-1700-22O3 radio operating in the 2.4 GHz band for high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity
The radios are embedded into the robot’s communications hub and link to local control systems, cloud gateways, and monitoring tools. Mesh Rider OS provides features like adaptive modulation, channel selection, and QoS tuning—enabling consistent performance across warehouses with variable infrastructure.
8. Program or Mission Win
Digit systems using Doodle Labs radios have demonstrated:
- Reliable remote operation and monitoring in real-world warehouse deployments
- Resilience in congested Wi-Fi environments, thanks to dual-band fallback and link prioritization
- Real-time data exchange between robots and WMS (warehouse management systems)
- Support for OTA software updates, mission upload, and fleet telemetry streaming without loss of command/control
- Greater mobility range compared to commercial Wi-Fi radios, with fewer blind spots and handoffs
This performance has been essential to Agility’s success in field trials with large retail and logistics customers.
9. Platform or System Highlights
- Platform: Digit humanoid robot
- Radio Models: RM-1700-21N3 (900 MHz), RM-1700-22O3 (2.4 GHz)
- Form Factors: Nano and OEM
- Use Cases:
- Autonomous indoor navigation
- Remote operator monitoring and control
- Video/audio telemetry
- OTA firmware management
- Fleet coordination and task assignment
10. Performance Validation
Internal testing and field deployments showed:
- Low-latency telemetry and command links under 10 ms
- Stable video feed performance with >8 Mbps throughput on 2.4 GHz
- Reliable communication in dense shelving and high-interference zones
- Automatic fallback between 2.4 GHz and 900 MHz depending on conditions
- Consistent operation across multiple robots working in proximity
11. Strategic Impact
Doodle Labs radios are enabling Agility Robotics to:
- Expand Digit’s deployability across customer environments with unpredictable RF conditions
- Reduce reliance on fixed Wi-Fi infrastructure for deployments
- Ensure secure, scalable, and robust data flow as Digit moves from pilot to production deployments
- Lay the foundation for future multi-robot mesh coordination in large, distributed facilities
The integration strengthens Agility’s value proposition as a leader in practical, autonomous robotic labor for logistics and manufacturing.
12. Looking Ahead
As Agility Robotics expands its commercial footprint, future roadmap items include:
- Integration of multi-hop mesh networking for large facilities
- AI-optimized spectrum routing for high-density robot operations
- Expanded use of edge-based decision-making using real-time comms data
- Enhanced command redundancy through hybrid 900/2.4 systems with automatic link steering
Doodle Labs remains a key enabler of the real-world autonomy that Agility is bringing to logistics and supply chain automation.
