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Boston Dynamics’ Newest Robot Can Move 800 Boxes an Hour.
Warehouse workers can rejoice as a robot has just been unveiled that removes one of the worst chores in warehouse work.
Video Transcript
– This is Stretch, the most recent robot being showing off by leading automation company, Boston Dynamics. And while sure, their are other robots maybe a bit flashier, capable of overcoming obstacles, running at high speeds, and even dancing in step with one another, Stretch addresses a very specific problem in a very specific workspace, unloading trucks at a warehouse. Here’s Boston Dynamics Vice president of Business Development, Michael Perry, to explain.
MICHAEL PERRY: Every new automation project that we go into we start off by asking the people who work in a physical location, what is your most difficult challenge? We heard pretty much universally across warehousing that truck unloading is one of the most physically difficult and unpleasant jobs. You can actually see that in a lot of the turnover rates where people are entering that position and then leaving pretty quickly because it’s really, really tough.
– Stretch is outfitted with what they call a smart gripper, which is a series of suction devices allowing it to safely handle and move boxes. And using its omnidirectional base, the robot can then move even heavy boxes onto a conveyor, unloading at a rate of 800 boxes every hour. As online shopping continues to increase experts say they expect the warehouse sector to continue to rise through 2021 as well. With Boston Dynamics saying that other jobs could soon be automated too, explaining that it might not be long before home delivery robots could be moving up and down city streets.