One of Boston Dynamics' most impressive robots was first revealed back in 2017 and is called Handle. Now Handle has been re-imagined in a larger form and setup to work in a warehouse.
As Engadget reports, the latest video to appear on the Boston Dynamics' YouTube channel is for this new version of Handle. It's a much bigger robot than the tall and athletic Handle we saw a couple of years ago, but it doesn't look to have lost any of its agility.
As the video shows, Handle is tasked with moving cardboard boxes from one location to another and perfectly stacking them on a pallet. Another Handle robot is seen taking boxes from a pallet and placing them on a conveyor belt.
Handle isn't as fast as a human at doing these tasks, but I have to follow that statement with "yet" as robot technology is always improving. Handle also has some big advantages over human workers including being able to carry heavier boxes, never getting tired and slowing down, and not requiring any breaks or an end to a shift. The only thing Handle needs is regular access to charged batteries and the occasional service I'd imagine.
For now, take this demonstration as another sign robots are slowly but surely going to enter the workforce and in so doing replace humans for some jobs. While that will mean some of the most tedious and back-breaking work could disappear, it also potentially means fewer jobs are available in the future.