Boston Dynamics CEO explains the new Stretch robot | Robert Playter and Lex Fridman

TL;DR

Stretch is a non-balancing mobile robot arm designed for warehouse operations, specifically box moving tasks.

Transcript

I want to mention you know our second robot uh stretch yeah tell me about stretch what stretch who stretch stretch started differently than spot you know spot we built because we had Decades of experience building quadrupeds we just we had it in our blood we had to build a quadruped product but we had to go figure out what the application was and w... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤖 Stretch was born out of the need for a mobile robot specifically designed for box moving tasks in warehouses.
• 🤖 The market for warehouse automation, especially in tasks like box moving, is immense, with potential for thousands of robots in the future.
• 🤖 By introducing robots like Stretch, manual and physically demanding jobs in warehouses can be replaced with efficient and productive robot operators.
• 🤖 The design of Stretch, with its large mobile base and a heavy-duty robot arm, enables it to perform box moving tasks with precision and safety.
• 😑 The commercial potential of Stretch is significant, with pre-orders and commitments from several customers to purchase multiple robots.
• 🥺 Previous robot designs, such as Handle, showcased the potential for complex balancing and coordination, leading to the development of Stretch.
• 👍 While Handle was visually impressive, it proved to be less efficient for warehouse applications, resulting in the decision to focus on Stretch's practicality and profitability.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the main application of Stretch?

Stretch is primarily built for box moving tasks in warehouses, with the potential to perform palletizing, de-palletizing, loading and unloading trucks in the future.

Q: How does Stretch differ from Spot?

While Spot was developed based on customer feedback, Stretch's purpose was clear from the start. Stretch received immediate interest and pre-orders for its warehouse application.

Q: What does Stretch look like?

Stretch consists of a large, strong robot arm mounted on a mobile base the size of a pallet. The design allows it to fit easily into warehouse spaces.

Q: How does Stretch maintain balance?

Stretch's balance is helped by a large battery located in its base, allowing it to run for two shifts. This helps prevent tipping even when carrying a 50-pound box.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Stretch was developed as a solution to the manual box-moving tasks performed in warehouses, with the potential to address various other warehouse operations.

• While Spot, another robot by the same company, was built based on customer feedback, Stretch's purpose was clear from the beginning, leading to significant customer interest and pre-orders.

• The design of Stretch features a large mobile base the size of a pallet, allowing it to fit easily in a warehouse space, and a mobile robot arm capable of lifting and placing boxes up to 50 pounds.