Warehouse Robot

A new robot named “Stretch” was recently introduced to address the skyrocketing demand for warehouse automation. With a reach of 10 feet and a load-bearing capacity of 50 pounds, the computer vision enabled robot can do all the “heavy lifting” – loading and unloading boxes from inside a truck while maneuvering in virtually any direction.

Stretch runs on a machine learning algorithm that enables it to recognize different sizes, colors, textures, and materials of packages, so it doesn’t need to be explicitly trained. The goal is to shift away from manually handling boxes by having multiple robots moving through a warehouse to pick up items and place them on a pallet automatically.

It’s been estimated that more than 500 billion boxes are shipped every year. As warehouse worker shortages, high turnover rates, and social distancing requirements are leading companies to utilize robotics more and more, there will undoubtedly be an increased demand for systems such as this.

For information: Boston Dynamics, 78 4th Avenue, Waltham, MA 02451; phone: 617-868-5600; Web site: Home | Boston Dynamics