Boston Dynamic’s Stretch robotic system is now available for logistics companies particularly warehouse operators. After debuting its four-legged robot dog, Spot, on the market in 2020 for US$75,000, it is now offering the commercial version of Stretch, a warehouse box-moving robot.
Stretch debuted as a prototype in March last year, and after a year of on-the-job trials and further developments, it was refined into a commercial product. The purpose of the robot is still the same – a box mover. Stretch is a warehouse worker that is meant to quickly take over unloading trucks, depalletizing boxes, and building orders without any need to build additional infrastructure.
Box-moving arms are not new, but they are usually stationary, which means that they have to be bolted at specific spots and as such, a warehouse needs to be designed around the robot location.
On the contrary, Stretch is mounted on a big, wheeled base, so it has more human-like flexibility in what it can do throughout the day. Stretch can drive right into a truck and do some box unloading in the morning and then move on to the order building later in the afternoon. The base is the same size as a pallet, so it can go just about anywhere in a warehouse.
Deliveries for new orders are not expected until 2023 and 2024. On the prospects for Stretch, the company cited ongoing labor issues as a key driver in interest around the new robot.
“Labor shortages and supply chain snags continue to create challenges in keeping the flow of goods moving,” said Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter. “Stretch makes logistics operations more efficient and predictable, and it improves safety by taking on one of the most physically demanding jobs in the warehouse.
“Many of our early adopter customers have already committed to deploying the robot at scale, so we are excited Stretch will soon be put to work more broadly, helping retailers and logistics companies handle the continued surging demand for goods.”
The commercial version of Stretch has changed a lot since last year’s prototype. Boston Dynamics said there have been component improvements designed to help with manufacturability and cost. One new capability is that, if a stack of boxes falls over, Stretch can autonomously recover the fallen boxes. The commercial version of Stretch can lift up to 50 pounds and runs for 16 hours with a high-capacity battery option.
While Stretch is available for purchase, Boston Dynamics has not made the price public. Whatever it costs, Stretch is apparently already a hit. The company said in a statement that all units scheduled for 2022 delivery have already been sold out, thanks to strong demand from those early customers.
Warehouse/logistics have been one of the top categories for robotics in recent years, as companies have been looking for effective options against Amazon’s large automation army.
