Analysis:
Fulfillment has been the top market for robotics for the past few years. But truck unloading, one of the most important parts of the supply chain, has remained one of the least automated. Stretch is among a small group of robots currently hitting the market to ease challenges related to labor shortages, rising costs and worker injuries, as well as bringing more predictability and efficiency, to this inbound logistics process. Boston Dynamics has seen strong interest from early adopters like DHL, Performance Team - A Maersk Company, and NFI, all of which signed multi-million dollar orders for Stretch in its first year on the market. Trailer unloading is the first task Stretch is going after, with other case-handling applications to follow. With the early success and Boston Dynamics’ world-class robotics engineering prowess, Stretch is poised to become a vital part of the fulfillment process for years to come. – Steve Crowe