Boston Dynamics Stretch Review: Features and Uses of the Trailer Unloading Robot
Updated: 7 days ago
Boston Dynamics Stretch is a mobile robot that unloads boxes from trailers and containers and picks cases in warehouses, handling cases of up to 50 pounds. The manufacturer does not publish a price or a full specification table. This review covers its capabilities, deployment and users.
Quick Verdict
Stretch takes over one of the hardest manual jobs in a warehouse: emptying a trailer stacked floor to ceiling with boxes. It drives into the trailer, picks cases with a vacuum gripper on a robot arm and puts them on a conveyor, at a rate the maker describes as hundreds of cases an hour. It needs no programming for each load, copes with mixed and untidy stacks and picks up boxes that fall. It is installed in existing docks within days. The list of users, which includes DHL, Maersk, Gap and H&M, is its strongest argument. The maker publishes few technical figures.
Boston Dynamics Stretch at a Glance
Case weight: up to 50 lb
Throughput: hundreds of cases an hour
Tasks: trailer and container unloading, case picking
Deployment: operating within days of delivery
Price: on request
Boston Dynamics Stretch Capabilities
The table below lists what the manufacturer states about Stretch.
Aspect | Boston Dynamics Stretch |
Manufacturer | Boston Dynamics |
Type | Mobile case-handling robot |
Case weight | Up to 50 pounds |
Throughput | Hundreds of cases an hour |
Shifts | Single or multiple shifts on battery |
Programming | None needed per load; decisions made in real time |
Package types | Plain cartons and printed packaging |
Stack condition | Neat or disordered |
Fallen boxes | Detected and recovered without an operator |
Installation | Within existing warehouse infrastructure |
Reach, weight, footprint and battery capacity are not given on the product page.
Design and Operation
Stretch is a single mobile unit that carries its own arm, gripper, vision system and battery, so it moves from dock door to dock door instead of being fixed at one. It decides in real time which box to take next, without a model of the load, and it handles boxes that have shifted in transit. When a box falls to the floor, the robot finds it and picks it up without calling an operator. The maker says the battery lasts through one or more shifts, without stating a capacity.
Deployment and Support
Installation
The robot works with existing docks and conveyors and is described as running within days of delivery.
Training
Boston Dynamics provides training for safe operation.
Boston Dynamics Stretch Uses
Stretch is used at the inbound and picking ends of warehouses.
Trailer and Container Unloading
The main application is unloading floor-loaded trailers and sea containers onto a conveyor.
Case Picking
The robot also picks cases to build pallets.
Users
Named customers are Otto Group, NFI, Gap, Arvato, DHL, Maersk and H&M.
Boston Dynamics Stretch Price and Value
Boston Dynamics does not list a price for Stretch and directs buyers to its sales team.
For the company behind the product, read the Boston Dynamics Company Profile: History, Ownership, Robots and Leadership.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Automates a physically hard, injury-prone job
No programming per load
Recovers fallen boxes on its own
Fast installation in existing docks
Used by major logistics companies
Cons
Few published technical figures
50 lb case limit
No published price
Who Should Buy Boston Dynamics Stretch?
Stretch fits distribution centres and logistics providers with a steady flow of floor-loaded trailers or containers of boxed goods.
Boston Dynamics Stretch FAQ
How much does Boston Dynamics Stretch cost?
Boston Dynamics does not publish a price; it is available from its sales team.
What does Stretch do?
It unloads boxes from trailers and containers and picks cases in warehouses.
How heavy a box can Stretch lift?
Up to 50 pounds.
How fast is Stretch?
The maker gives a rate of hundreds of cases an hour.
Does Stretch need programming for each trailer?
No. It decides in real time which box to pick.
What happens when a box falls?
Stretch detects it and picks it up without operator help.
Who uses Stretch?
Named users include DHL, Maersk, Gap, H&M, Otto Group, NFI and Arvato.
How long does installation take?
The maker says the robot is running within days of delivery.
Information is based on manufacturer statements and may change.
