Boston Dynamics Robots to Increase Efficiencies at Otto Group Facilities

Boston Dynamics has signed an agreement to introduce its Spot and Stretch robots at e-commerce retailer Otto Group facilities, to “increase operational efficiency and address labor shortages for specific types of warehouse work.”

Under the deal, over the next two years Spot robots will be deployed at more than 10 of the retailer’s sites, while Stretch will be rolled out at more than 20 of its facilities. 

The deal marks the first time both of Boston Dynamics’ commercial robots will be deployed together at an enterprise scale.

Spot, Boston Dynamics’ quadruped robot dog, will be used for inspections and predictive maintenance capabilities for operations equipment, including “thermal monitoring, analog gauge reading and acoustic detection of pressurized air and gas leaks.”

“The Spot fleet will also run autonomous missions, collecting data for machine learning models to support tasks like fire exit egress monitoring and detecting slight changes in storage racks to keep Otto Group’s warehouses even safer,” according to a company statement.

Stretch, Boston Dynamics’ robot designed to load and unload containers, will be deployed to move heavy packages at 10 facilities next year to have it operational at 20 sites by 2025.

The rollout will begin with the Otto Group’s Hermes Fulfillment facility.

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“The cooperation with Boston Dynamics is another important step for us to position ourselves for the future,” said Kay Schiebur, Otto Group board member. “Robotics and AI are and will become even more central components of our daily work.”

Training in how to use these new robotic tools will also be offered by the Otto Group as part of the deal, and the partners said they plan to collaborate on research and development, including additional future use cases for both Spot and Stretch robots, over the next several years.