Boston Dynamics puts Spot to work on deliveries

Boston Dynamics is testing a new job for Spot: helping delivery drivers carry packages from a van to a customer’s doorstep. The company has equipped its quadruped robot with a conveyor belt accessory that lets it autonomously unload packages at the door, targeting the labor-heavy last stretch of delivery.

While wheeled delivery robots and drones have long promised faster drop-offs, people still handle obstacles such as stairs and cluttered pathways more effectively. Boston Dynamics is betting Spot’s ability to move over uneven ground and around obstacles could make it useful in the “unstructured environments of suburban neighborhoods,” where the route from curb to front door is rarely clear.

The company says it is “already in talks with major logistics companies about testing Spot for a last-mile delivery solution” and wants to move from demonstrations to a full pilot project. A demo video shows a driver loading packages onto Spot, which then carries them to the doorstep — a workflow Boston Dynamics hopes will be efficient enough to justify the robot’s roughly $75k price.

Spot already has a track record beyond logistics, including routine factory inspections and work patrolling the ruins of Pompeii. It is also commonly used in search and rescue to help navigate rubble, experience Boston Dynamics says supports its case for suburban delivery routes.

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Boston Dynamics argues the robot could do more than reduce physical strain on drivers. By handling some drop-offs independently, Spot could give drivers time to prepare the next stop and increase throughput.

“For every three packages delivered via Spot, we think we can add another package to the van.”