DHL Supply Chain Expands Robotics Strategy with Five-Year Alliance with Robust.AI

DHL Supply Chain has signed a five-year strategic alliance with U.S.-based robotics company Robust.AI, marking a significant expansion of the logistics giant’s collaborative automation efforts across the Americas. The partnership will bring Robust.AI’s Carter™ robotic systems to Latin America for the first time, beginning with a deployment of 15 units in DHL’s retail operations in Mexico.

The rollout follows successful implementations of the Carter robot across DHL facilities in North America, where the system has delivered productivity gains of more than 60% and improvements in safety and workflow efficiency. Early results in Mexico show productivity increases of around 30%, with DHL expecting those numbers to rise as the technology becomes further integrated into its warehouse systems.

According to DHL Supply Chain, the partnership is part of a broader strategy to identify and scale automation solutions that deliver immediate operational value while remaining flexible enough to adapt to different sites and levels of technological readiness. Robust.AI is among a select group of strategic robotics partners as DHL accelerates its global automation roadmap.

“Integrating flexible, collaborative robotics into our day-to-day operations strengthens both efficiency and customer experience,” said Mario Rodríguez de la Gala, President of DHL Supply Chain Mexico. “This partnership reflects our vision for reinventing supply chains in Mexico—both now and in the years ahead.”

Robust.AI's Carter robot is designed with a modular, human-centered architecture that allows DHL to deploy it in stages. Carter can begin with basic motor-assisted movement to reduce physical strain on workers before scaling into fully autonomous navigation through future integration with DHL’s Warehouse Management System. This phased approach enables DHL to extract value immediately while preparing each facility for deeper automation.

For Robust.AI, the multi-country rollout represents a major milestone. “Deploying Carter across multiple DHL facilities with different operational profiles is an exciting step in our expanding partnership,” said Anthony Jules, Co-Founder and CEO of Robust.AI. “Flexible, safe automation with a lower barrier to entry accelerates ROI—but it also shows employees that the technology is designed around them.”

DHL Supply Chain plans to deploy hundreds of Carter robots across its Americas network over the next several years, with potential expansion into other global regions. The ability to relocate robots between sites—supporting seasonal peaks or shifting customer needs—aligns with DHL’s focus on scalable, adaptable automation.

The move underscores the company’s position as one of the world’s largest adopters of warehouse robotics, layering robotics and AI into operations ranging from e-commerce fulfillment to industrial supply chains. DHL Group, which generated €84.2 billion in revenue in 2024, has committed to building a fleet of flexible automation systems as part of its long-term digital transformation and sustainability agenda.

Robust.AI, known for its focus on human-centered robotic design and physical AI, continues to expand its lineup of collaborative robotic systems aimed at picking, putaway, value-added services, and material transport. The Carter platform has emerged as one of the company’s flagship products as demand for safer, more intuitive automation grows across logistics and retail environments.

As DHL and Robust.AI move into the next phase of their partnership, the companies will test deeper system integrations, refine deployment models for diverse warehouse environments, and scale regional operations—signaling another step forward in the global race to modernize supply chains with intelligent robotics.