Two Boston Dynamics Stretch robots introduced at Kentucky campus
Arvato has deployed the first two Stretch robots from Boston Dynamics at its logistics campus in Louisville, Kentucky, to automatically unload a wide variety of loose-loaded boxes from containers.
“This implementation marks the next step in Arvato’s Automation Strategy, adding another proven solution to its existing Automation Toolbox. When combined with smart data capturing, robotic palletising, and pallet transport by AGVs (automated guided vehicles) and AMRs (autonomous mobile robots), it completes the process chain for a fully automated goods-receiving process,” Arvato said in a statement.
As Arvato explained, mobile robots are entirely self-contained, requiring no power or airlines for operation. This mobility significantly reduces infrastructure costs and training time for Arvato’s employees. The system utilises a vision system to detect the front of all boxes in a container. The robot then makes real-time decisions on which box or boxes to pick and how to do so. Its single robotic arm is equipped with a gripper at the end, consisting of several rows of suction cups, allowing it to grab boxes from various angles and carefully place them on a conveyor belt to be transported further into the warehouse.
According to Arvato, the implementation provides greater consistency, and the multipicking feature allows for higher throughput, especially with smaller, lighter cartons. The robots can also multi-pick some heavier cartons that the manual unloading teams would not be able to handle. Stretch can manage packages of various sizes weighing up to 23kg (50lbs) and can work continuously for up to 16 hours.
The partnership between Arvato and Boston Dynamics initially involves implementing a total of ten Stretch robots at various Arvato locations. Following the successful launch of the two models in Louisville, the next steps will be to equip additional sites in the US and Europe.
For more on Arvato, visit https://arvato.com/
https://couriernews.co.uk/blog/arvato-introduces-robots-for-automated-unloading/