Boston Dynamics, OTTO Motors partner on warehouse automation

Boston Dynamics, a world leader in mobile manipulation robots, and OTTO Motors, leader in industrial autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), today unveiled a demo of the future of warehouse automation. In a video released today, Boston Dynamics’s logistics robot, Handle, can be seen picking boxes and building pallets on top of OTTO AMRs in a distribution center testbed.

Last year, Boston Dynamics announced its efforts to add flexible, highly mobile automation technology to the warehouse with its Handle robot and Pick computer vision system. Since then, the team has integrated Pick’s box detection software into the Handle robot and sold and integrated Pick into industrial robotic workcells at sites around the world.

The Handle robot completed proof of concept trials with customers in their warehouses last year and Boston Dynamics is working with OTTO Motors to further automate the logistics space.

“We’ve built a proof of concept demonstration of a heterogeneous fleet of robots building distribution center orders to provide a more flexible warehouse automation solution,” said Boston Dynamics VP of Product Engineering Kevin Blankespoor. “To meet the rates that our customers expect, we’re continuing to expand Handle’s capabilities and optimizing its interactions with other robots like the OTTO 1500 for warehouse applications.”

OTTO Motors has long focused on solving the problem of moving goods in the warehouse through AMRs like the OTTO 1500, providing mission-critical deliveries within a variety of industrial environments. “It’s exciting to engage with other cutting-edge robotics companies like Boston Dynamics,” said Ryan Gariepy, CTO and Co-Founder of OTTO Motors. “As leaders in our respective spaces, we can apply our technologies to field a whole new realm of applications.”

Boston Dynamics and OTTO will be demoing their products at MODEX, a leading trade show for supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution automation, from 9 - 12 March in Atlanta, GA. See Boston Dynamics’s Pick in action and learn more about Handle at booth #7494 and find OTTO at booth #10019.