DHL will be using the technology to automate its warehouses in North America, beginning with the deployment of Boston Dynamics’ Stretch robot, which is designed to automate the unloading process at distribution centres. The multi-purpose mobile robot will be introduced to warehouses across North America over the next three years, initially tackling the unloading of boxes from trucks at select DHL facilities. Following that, it will take on additional tasks to support other parts of the warehouse workflow, which the company said will effectively automate warehouse operations. 

The Stretch robot is equipped with an omnidirectional mobile base, custom-designed lightweight arm and a smart gripper with advanced sensing and controls that can handle a large variety of box types and sizes, according to Boston Dynamics. It also features computer vision technology, enabling it to easily identify boxes without pre-programming.