Introducing Stretch: Robot Warehouse Worker.

Are you ready for the robot warehouse worker? This is a game changer for distribution and fulfillment centers. This type of technology will become the norm in warehouses in the near future. This robot warehouse worker does not call in sick, is able to work 24/7, and does exactly what you tell it to do. Is this the way of the future?

The automation happening in supply chain is disrupting the industry. Everyday the technology is getting better for these robots to replace supply chain jobs. With wages increasing and the price of technology decreasing the return on investment comes much quicker than it did in the past. Smaller companies are now seeing a high ROI and in order to stay in business will need to switch to robotics.

Boston Dynamics is a company that develops advanced robots and automation systems for a variety of applications, including warehouse work. One example of a robot developed by Boston Dynamics for use in warehouses is the Handle robot, which is designed to move and transport boxes and other materials within the warehouse.

The Handle robot is a mobile robot that is equipped with advanced sensors and navigation technology, allowing it to navigate around obstacles and move packages safely. It is capable of lifting and carrying heavy loads and can be used to support a variety of tasks, including loading and unloading trucks and moving materials from one location to another within the warehouse.

Boston Dynamics has also developed a number of other robots for use in warehouses and other settings, including the Spot robot, which is a small, agile robot that can be used for tasks such as inventory management and scanning.

Overall, Boston Dynamics’ robots have the potential to improve efficiency and productivity in warehouses and other work environments, but it is still early days for these technologies and it is not yet clear how widely they will be adopted in the long term.

Robots Replacing Jobs and People

“Because salaries are likely to stagnate as minimum-wage hikes will stimulate the use of more robots. Corporate profits will balloon. Labor unions may disappear or be forced to make wholesale changes, as unemployment is likely to rise. And because robots don’t pay taxes, the government must discover additional revenue streams.” ~Gregory Clay
“We are approaching a time when machines will be able to outperform humans at almost any task. I believe that society needs to confront this question before it is upon us: if machines are capable of doing almost any work humans can do, what will humans do?” ~Moshe Vardi
“The robot warehouse worker will be a common site very soon. Automation has been improving productivity in distribution centers and warehouses for years. This next level of automation will disrupt the industry.” ~Dave Waters
“If you look at the robotic devices that are coming into the restaurant industry — it’s cheaper to buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it is to hire an employee who’s inefficient making $15 an hour bagging French fries — it’s nonsense and it’s very destructive and it’s inflationary and it’s going to cause a job loss across this country like you’re not going to believe.” ~Ed Rensi
“Whether it’s in our cars, our hospitals or our homes, we’ll soon depend upon robots to make judgement calls in which human lives are at stake. That’s why a team of researchers is attempting to model moral reasoning in a robot. In order to pull it off, they’ll need to answer some important questions: How can we quantify the fuzzy, conflicting norms that guide human choices? How can we equip robots with the communication skills to explain their choices in way that we can understand? And would we even want robots to make the same decisions we’d expect humans to make?” ~Kristen Clark