Boston Dynamics and DHL's new robot is a hyper-efficient warehouse worker

"That's a very manual intensive job, and one that's not well-liked by many," says Sally Miller, global digital transformation officer for DHL Supply Chain, the world's largest third-party logistics company. Facing a labor shortage and high turnover in these kinds of warehouse jobs, DHL Supply Chain turned to robot maker Boston Dynamics to come up with a solution. In development for several years, the first two Stretch robots have just been deployed at an apparel company, which DHL Supply Chain declined to name, and about six more will be sent to other warehouse sites over the next three or four months. Stretch is the first robot that Boston Dynamics has purpose-built for a specific set of applications, according to Kevin Blankespoor, the company's senior vice president and general manager of warehouse robotics. His is a title that lays bare the potential Boston Dynamics sees in logistics.