NFI, a supply chain solutions provider, has announced that it has signed a US$10m (£8.6m) agreement to deploy engineering firm Boston Dynamics’ new robot, Stretch, across its US warehouses.
The mobile robot will reportedly start unloading trucks and containers as part of a pilot program at NFI’s Savannah site in 2023, with plans to outfit additional warehouse locations across North America over the next few years.
NFI claims the deal has come as part of its technology-enabled business approach to support the flow of goods and increase operational capacity amid soaring e-commerce demands.
The company pilots new technologies to demonstrate real-world applications within operations before scaling them throughout its US network.
“We designed Stretch to automate box moving, an operationally and physically challenging task across warehouses,” said Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics.
“Demand for goods continues to rise, and robots like Stretch can help NFI alleviate some of the challenges associated with that surging demand.
“Stretch makes truck unloading a safer and more efficient task, and NFI can pass that efficiency along to its customers.”
NFI serves customers across a range of industries and claims to operate over 65 million square feet of warehouse space.
The company has said it foresees Stretch becoming an important asset to its facility network, which has seen a growth in demand since the start of the pandemic.
Stretch can reportedly operate for at least a full work shift on a single charge, or up to 16 hours with a high-capacity battery option.
With a vacuum gripper and vision system, Stretch is designed to handle a variety of package types up to 50lbs (22.6kg), require no SKU number pre-programming or box size information and autonomously recover any packages that move or fall during unloading.
