IT House reported on March 31 that Boston Dynamics launched a new robot called "Stretch" last year. It's not as noticeable as the Spot Robot Dog, but it's practical enough to help with loading and unloading and moving boxes in a warehouse.
Now, Boston Dynamics has announced that Stretch is finally open for purchase and is currently accepting delivery pre-orders for 2023 and 2024, with delivery orders for 2022 already sold out due to strong pre-order demand.
DHL will be one of the early customers of Boston Dynamics Stretch, which signed a $15 million (about 95.25 million yuan) deal with Boston Dynamics to equip its warehouses in North America with robots in the coming years. TechCrunch said Gap and H&M are also equipping their warehouses with robots.
IT House understands that Stretch claims to be easy to deploy and does not require pre-programming or the size of the box, requiring only 50 pounds (about 22.7 kilograms) and below to be able to be moved. The Stretch has a wheeled base that can move around without the need for fixed infrastructure, and an advanced vision system that autonomously identifies boxes and their surroundings.
Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter said that due to labor shortages, many companies have expressed interest in buying Stretch, especially since the robot can be deployed in just a few days and then work properly.