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Mikhail Polyakov

Agility is putting Nyobolt fast charging into its Digit 5 robot: 90 minutes of work for 9 minutes of charging, and what lies behind the promise of 20 hours a day

Level: BeginnerReading time: 5 min

Topics: Robots, Industry

A grey and orange two-legged robot beside a charging station in a warehouse with tall shelves and boxes

The short answer: on 15 October 2026, Agility Robotics announced that its humanoid robot Digit 5 will get a fast-charging system from the British company Nyobolt. According to Agility, the new battery provides 90 minutes of work and charges in 9 minutes, while the previous model, Digit 4, had a work-to-charge ratio of 2 to 1. Hence the promise of more than 20 hours of work a day. The company expects early access to Digit 5 with this battery in the first half of 2027. All the figures in the news are claims made by the companies themselves.

Where the news comes from

I read the article in The Robot Report (15 October 2026, bylined The Robot Report Staff). It summarises the companies' announcement and quotes their executives. I did not open the Agility or Nyobolt websites myself.

What was claimed

  • The battery. According to Agility, Digit 5 will get a battery that provides 90 minutes of work and charges in 9 minutes. The work-to-charge ratio is 10 to 1; Digit 4 had 2 to 1.
  • The day. Agility's director of business development, Daniel Diez, said Digit 5 will deliver more than 20 hours of productive work in a 24-hour day, more than two full shifts. "For our customers, Digit's operating time is the business case," he said.
  • Timing. Agility expects early access to Digit 5 with Nyobolt's technology in the first half of 2027, with availability expected to increase over the following 6-9 months.
  • Where it will work. Agility names warehouses, distribution centres and manufacturing.

Where the 20 hours come from

This is my own calculation based on the stated figures, not the company's.

If the robot works for 90 minutes and charges for 9, one cycle lasts 99 minutes. A day has 1,440 minutes, which is about 14.5 cycles, or about 21.8 hours of battery operation and 2.2 hours of charging. This is theoretical operating time without pauses, not confirmed hours of useful work. So "more than 20 hours" works out only if the robot alternates between work and charging all the time without pauses. At a real site, this may be reduced by travel to the charging station, waiting if there are more robots than stations, and downtime for other reasons; the article says nothing about this. How many hours remain in practice will only be shown by trials at customers' sites.

Who Agility and Nyobolt are

  • Agility Robotics was founded in 2015 and is based in Salem, Oregon. The company calls Digit the first multi-purpose humanoid robot "made for work" and already commercially deployed. Last month it released Digit 5 with new legs. Agility is preparing to go public through a merger with Churchill Capital Corp XI.
  • Nyobolt was founded in 2019 and is based in Cambridge, UK. According to the company, it combines its own anode materials, cell design and integrated power electronics to achieve fast charging, high power density, lower weight and a longer service life. In May 2026 the company raised $60 million, including from Symbotic, at a valuation of $1 billion.

Nyobolt's head, Sai Shivareddy, said their technology was chosen because Digit 5 needs more power from a smaller, lighter battery in environments where reliability is essential.

What here is fact and what is a claim

This is my own breakdown, not words from the source.

  1. The companies' claims. 90 minutes of work, 9 minutes of charging, more than 20 hours a day, the properties of Nyobolt's batteries.
  2. My calculation. 21.8 hours of battery operation with ideal alternation and no pauses; the calculation does not show how much of that will be useful work.
  3. Unknown from the article. The price of the robot and the battery, how many charging cycles the battery withstands in practice, how many charging stations are needed and how fast charging affects service life.

What a robot buyer should check

This is my own conclusion, not advice from the article.

If you are considering Digit 5 or another robot that promises work almost around the clock, ask the supplier not only for the work-to-charge ratio but also for data from a pilot deployment at a similar customer.

  1. Who does it. The warehouse or production manager, together with whoever is responsible for procurement.
  2. What to ask. How many hours a day the robot actually worked in the pilot, how many robots there were per charging station, how many charging cycles the battery withstands before a noticeable loss of capacity, and how much it costs to replace.
  3. How to confirm. With your own pilot at your site, measuring the hours of work, not just the specification figures.
  4. If there is no data. Do not calculate payback on the claimed 20 hours, and do not substitute your own guess for them: run a pilot first and calculate from its measurements.

How to read news like this. Recalculate the figures the company gives. Here 90 and 9 minutes do indeed give about 21.8 hours of battery operation a day, but only on paper, without travel to charging and downtime.

Summary

Agility has said that Digit 5 with a Nyobolt battery will work for 90 minutes and charge for 9, which gives more than 20 hours of work a day with ideal alternation. Early access is expected in the first half of 2027. All the figures so far belong to the companies themselves, and real operating time will be shown by pilots at customers' sites.

See also another piece in this section: Robot dexterity: why 99% per step is not enough.

I work on AI agents and automation. If you would like to see my projects or discuss your own task, take a look at my portfolio.

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