DHL Group, a world chief in logistics, is increasing its already robust relationship with Boston Dynamics. By a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), DHL plans to deploy 1,000+ extra Stretch robots from Boston Dynamics by 2030. The businesses are additionally seeking to broaden the kinds of purposes Stretch is used for, past container unloading.
DHL and Boston Dynamics have been working collectively since 2018. DHL first deployed Stretch in North America in 2023. The logistics large has additionally deployed the robotic in the UK and Europe, attaining unloading charges of as much as 700 circumstances per hour.
DHL mentioned it plans to additional combine Stretch into its operations. A key space of improvement is case selecting, which DHL identified is likely one of the most labor-intensive actions inside its provide chain.
“We’ll work collectively to prioritize the applying improvement of cellular case selecting in addition to discover different synergies throughout DHL’s divisions,” a Boston Dynamics spokesperson advised The Robotic Report. Watch the video beneath for examples of cellular case selecting purposes for Stretch.
DHL mentioned it has invested greater than €1 billion in automation inside its contract logistics division over the past three years. The corporate mentioned it has deployed greater than 7,500 robots throughout its international community. AutoStore, Fox Robotics, Geek+, and Locus Robotics are a number of the different notable robotics corporations DHL works with.
In June 2024, DHL introduced it surpassed 500 million picks with Locus’ autonomous cellular robots alone. It took DHL 2.5 years to succeed in the primary 10 million picks with the LocusBots and 28 months to finish the subsequent 100 million picks. Remarkably, the final 100 million picks took simply 154 days.
“By our Accelerated Digitalization agenda, we’re dedicated to maximizing the impression of robotics and automation throughout all our operations and enterprise items,” mentioned Sally Miller, international CIO of DHL Provide Chain. “It’s a elementary shift that’s reshaping how we function and elevate service for our clients. By this expanded partnership with Boston Dynamics, DHL will take a extra lively function in shaping and directing robotics improvement alongside key companions, specializing in constructing extra resilient, responsive, and smarter options that deal with the distinctive challenges of our firm. Collectively, we’re setting new requirements for the logistics trade.”
DHL mentioned greater than 90% of its warehouses worldwide use at the least one type of automation or digitalization. Different corporations that make robots to unload containers embrace Contoro Robotics, Dexterity, Mujin, Pickle Robotic, Slip Robotics, and XYZ Robotics.
“We’re proud to proceed strengthening our collaboration with DHL Group,” mentioned Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter. “Our groups have been on a journey of innovation collectively to create a sensible and efficient warehouse robotics answer, and that is the pure subsequent step in what has been a superb relationship. Stretch is ideally suited to be the primary multi-use case, field selecting robotic that may meet the various wants of DHL. Collectively, we’re striving to set an instance of sensible management of the fashionable provide chain.”
Boston Dynamics continues to scale
As soon as primarily generally known as a cutting-edge analysis and improvement outfit, Boston Dynamics is more and more scaling its industrial robots. Throughout his keynote on the Robotics Summit & Expo, CTO Aaron Saunders mentioned there are 2,000+ Spot quadrupeds working all over the world. It’s now beginning to scale Stretch with DHL.
However Boston Dynamics’ largest buyer may very well be its proprietor, Hyundai. In 2021, Hyundai acquired Boston Dynamics from SoftBank for $880 million.
Hyundai mentioned in April 2025 it is going to make investments $21 billion within the U.S., together with a $6 billion funding to drive innovation and broaden strategic partnerships with U.S. corporations. It mentioned a part of this funding will likely be shopping for “tens of 1000’s” of robots, some proportion of which will likely be from Boston Dynamics. Hyundai is already deploying Spot for industrial inspection and predictive upkeep at its amenities.
The automaker seems to be most , nevertheless, in Boston Dynamics’ new electrical Atlas humanoid, which Saunders mentioned at size throughout his keynote. Hyundai plans to begin testing Atlas for half sequencing duties later this 12 months.
“Boston Dynamics and robotics AI will play an important function in attaining the group’s purpose,” acknowledged Jaehoon Chang, vice chair of Hyundai Motor Group. “Bodily AI and humanoid robots will remodel our enterprise panorama to the subsequent stage. By our collaboration, we are going to expedite the method to realize management within the robotics trade.”
