In Evan Drumwright's vision of the future everything is orderly — and largely automated.
Drumwright is the co-founder of Dextrous Robotics, whose DX-1 robot is designed to unload boxes from trucks. It promises to be a boon for logistics companies.
"I like to imagine having a miniature version of [DX-1] in my house and arranging my environment. I walk into my den and it gets my notebook out, it gets my computer, it turns on the lamp. I like to imagine that kind of eventualities," he said.
Drumwright established Dextrous Robotics with Sam Zapolsky in 2019, establishing its headquarters at Crosstown Concourse. The company has been developing a robot, using chopstick-like appendages, to move packages in small spaces, such as trucks, shipping containers, and railroad cars. Dextrous Robotics employs 12, most of whom were recruited from outside the city.
Pandas was the first iteration, using largely store-bought components. The second was Chopsticks, which improved on Panda's speed, payload, volume, and dexterity. The latest is the DX-1.
According to Dextrous Robotics, the DX-1 can pick up 2,000 packages per hour at 400% the speed of a human workforce. A video shows the robot picking up everything from large boxes to mailbags and tires.
Drumwright said the challenge was figuring out a way to handle all these different types of packages in dirty, wet, or cold environments. They drilled down on the chopsticks approach because of the chopsticks' range and the robot's ability to control them. One innovation that Dextrous Robotics has patented is how the chopsticks handle the packages — one chopstick is perpendicular, the other is at an angle. This stabilizes the package.
Another thing they figured out was how to make the robot understand its environment.
"What we have built is the most capable manipulation platform ever made," Drumwright said. "It's picking up things down to the size of a sugar cube and up to an armchair."
The robot's sensory mechanisms allow it to sense walls and to work safely around humans.
The DX-1 is set to make its debut this spring. Drumwright said they have signed contracts with some recognizable names, though NDAs won't allow him to reveal who they are.
He describes the deals as like a subscription service based on how many packages will be moved.
Drumwright said his robots are an answer to the labor shortage problem. It has the potential to impact companies across the globe.
"What we're showing you is the future," he said.
