Boston Dynamics launches Stretch Gen 2 with 81% less internal cabling

Boston Dynamics this week introduced Stretch Gen 2, the second version of its robot that unloads boxes from trailers. The first generation has logged more than 100,000 operating hours and handled tens of millions of boxes. Work on the new model took about two and a half years, according to Brian Donnelly, who leads logistics robotics at the company, as reported by The Robot Report.

The focus was reliability. Internal cabling is down by 81%, roughly half a mile of wire, and a harness sourced through Hyundai's car supply chain uses latching automotive connectors. Joints can now rotate past 360 degrees. The gripper has a valve in every suction cup, so the arm can pick several boxes in one motion and use less vacuum power. A swerve drive swap now takes one hour instead of a day. The robot can unload up to 1,000 cases per hour, depending on case weight and stacking, and its battery lasts two shifts.

Why it matters

Trailer unloading only pays off when robots keep running, so fewer failure points and repairs by a customer's own maintenance team count as much as raw speed. Boston Dynamics also says software updates will keep improving the whole fleet, and its latest one raised the unload rate by 24%. The company has not stated a price or a shipping date in this report. Watch for customer deployments that show whether the uptime gains hold up in real warehouses.