Where Jonathan Hurst Is Now
Jonathan Hurst continues his work in humanoid robotics as an executive and co-founder.
- Current role: Chief robot officer, co-founder, and author, as reported by KSAT and IEEE Spectrum.
- Organization: Agility Robotics.
- Known for: Developing bipedal and humanoid robots including ATRIAS, Cassie, Digit 1, and the Digit 5 humanoid robot worker according to IEEE Spectrum.
- Recent news: Describing Agility Robotics' Fremont facility as a 'robot school' and asserting that Agility Robotics was the first company to commercially deploy humanoid robots, as covered by AOL.
Academic Roots and Founding Agility Robotics
In 2008, Jonathan Hurst started the Dynamic Robotics Laboratory at Oregon State University, where his lab built the bipedal robot ATRIAS to test spring-mass locomotion theories, according to IEEE Spectrum.
Hurst co-founded Agility Robotics in 2015 out of his robotics lab at Oregon State University alongside Damion Shelton and Mikhail Jones, as reported by IEEE Spectrum. Hurst and his co-founders focused on the bipedal robot Cassie as the company's first product, and Hurst and his team later created Digit 1 by adding a torso and arms to the Cassie leg design.
Robot Development and Deployment Vision
Hurst's career dream has been to build robots combining locomotion and manipulation to interact with the world like humans, as noted by IEEE Spectrum. He stated that Agility Robotics never aimed to construct a robot that looks like a person, according to KSAT.
Hurst noted that Digit's primary tasks currently involve picking up bins and moving them to other locations, as reported by AOL. According to KSAT, Hurst said upcoming versions of the Digit robot will be able to work alongside humans in warehouses and manufacturing facilities, and stated that Digit robots could eventually enter elder care, hospitality, and home services.
Hurst stated that logistics and manufacturing provide enough work to keep Agility Robotics busy, and envisioned scaling from moving totes and bins to handling cardboard and trailer loading to eventually reach 100 million robots, as detailed by TechCrunch.
Operational Philosophy and Workforce Approach
Hurst described Agility's philosophy as building a sustainable growing company rather than telling a grand story and hoping to fill in the gaps, according to AOL.
Regarding hiring and growth, Hurst stated that Agility Robotics does not want 'coin-operated' employees and will not enter bidding wars over top AI and robotics talent, as reported by AOL. He also described the company's Fremont facility as a 'robot school' to train the Digit humanoid robot in new skills.
Bottom Line
He started the Dynamic Robotics Laboratory at Oregon State University in 2008 and co-founded Agility Robotics in 2015 out of that lab alongside Damion Shelton and Mikhail Jones, developing the bipedal robot Cassie and the Digit humanoid robot worker line according to IEEE Spectrum.
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FAQs
Who is Jonathan Hurst?
Jonathan Hurst is a co-founder and the chief robot officer of Agility Robotics, an author, and the founder of the Dynamic Robotics Laboratory at Oregon State University, as reported by KSAT and IEEE Spectrum.
When did Jonathan Hurst co-found Agility Robotics?
Hurst co-founded Agility Robotics in 2015 out of his robotics lab at Oregon State University alongside Damion Shelton and Mikhail Jones, according to IEEE Spectrum.
What robots has Jonathan Hurst helped develop?
Hurst's lab built the bipedal robot ATRIAS, and at Agility Robotics he and his team developed the bipedal robot Cassie, Digit 1, and the Digit 5 humanoid robot worker, according to IEEE Spectrum.
What are Digit's current primary tasks?
Digit's primary tasks currently involve picking up bins and moving them to other locations, as noted by Hurst in reporting by AOL.
What is Jonathan Hurst's scale vision for Agility Robotics?
Hurst envisioned scaling from moving totes and bins to handling cardboard and trailer loading to eventually reach 100 million robots, according to TechCrunch.
What is Jonathan Hurst's stance on hiring AI and robotics talent?
Hurst stated that Agility Robotics does not want 'coin-operated' employees and will not enter bidding wars over top AI and robotics talent, as reported by AOL.