Boston Dynamics has unveiled Stretch Gen 2, an upgraded autonomous trailer-unloading robot designed to improve reliability, reduce downtime and simplify maintenance in warehouses and distribution centers. Drawing on more than 100,000 operating hours and tens of millions of boxes unloaded by the first-generation Stretch, the company redesigned the robot with upgraded electrical systems, improved gripping and sensing, fewer cables and modular components that speed repairs. Stretch Gen 2 can unload up to 1,000 cases per hour, depending on operating conditions, with a battery that lasts two shifts, fast charging and software updates that improve performance without hardware changes. Brian Donnelly, vice president and general manager of logistics robotics at Boston Dynamics, said customers rely on Stretch to keep freight moving, making robot downtime a costly disruption that creates backlogs on loading docks. The new model features heavy-duty automotive-grade connectors, an 81% reduction in internal cabling that eliminates about half a mile of wiring, a redesigned gripper with new valves and more precise sensors, continuous rotation joints that can move beyond 360 degrees without hitting mechanical stops, a lower recessed emergency stop and redesigned exterior panels, and standardized fasteners and modular components. According to Boston Dynamics, replacing a complete swerve drive assembly now takes about one hour, compared with a full day on the previous model.