Boston Dynamics’ Stretch robot gets its first job in DHL warehouses

Stretch looks like it belongs in a warehouse with an appearance akin to a driverless forklift. However, the robot is extremely maneuverable, versatile, and can be tasked with identifying boxes, reaching for them, and moving them to another location like a conveyor belt or truck.

In its latest announcement, Boston Dynamics revealed it will deliver a fleet of Stretch robots to multiple DHL warehouses throughout North America over the next three years. When we were first introduced to Stretch early last year, it was obvious the robot is mundane in appearance compared to its more futuristic predecessors; at the same time, it’s clear Stretch has inherited many of the design and engineering breakthroughs pioneered in its preceding stablemates.