Warehouse-robotics startup Robust.AI has signed a partnership with US third-party logistics provider O'Neill Logistics to deploy 24 Carter collaborative mobile robots across two omnichannel distribution centers, the companies announced on July 28. The rollout, targeting go-live in Q4 2026, is the largest single-customer Carter deployment publicly disclosed so far.
Where the robots will run
The 24-robot fleet will split across O'Neill's Monroe, New Jersey facility, which handles both retail and direct-to-consumer fulfillment, and its 1-million-square-foot Savannah, Georgia campus, which runs omnichannel order fulfillment for global apparel and consumer brands. O'Neill operates close to 2 million square feet of distribution space near major East Coast and California ports.
Carter's RaaS pitch
Carter is a software-defined collaborative mobile robot designed to support order-fulfillment picking, point-to-point transport and mobile sorting without new fixed infrastructure. Robust.AI sells it on a performance-based robotics-as-a-service model, letting 3PLs deploy quickly and scale in response to customer demand. O'Neill said Carter's system-directed picking, light-directed putting and lean-fleet economics matched its need for automation that boosts associate productivity without adding floor complexity.
Why 3PLs are the next battleground
Third-party logistics operators have become one of the fastest-growing buyers of mobile robotics as retailers push fulfillment closer to customers and manage ballooning return volumes. Robust.AI has previously signed multi-year deployments with DHL Supply Chain and recently paired its Gen 3 Carter with Aptiv's PULSE camera-and-radar perception as it pushes toward functional-safety certification. The O'Neill deal follows a broader wave of 3PL automation announcements, including recent moves in multi-vendor fleet orchestration and teleop-driven robotic labor platforms.
What comes next
With go-live scheduled for the fourth quarter, the first 24 units will function as a template for O'Neill to extend Carter across its wider network as customer volumes justify additional fleet capacity. Robust.AI CEO Anthony Jules said the design intent was automation that "works for people, not just around them," reflecting the industry's shift toward collaborative robots that augment associates rather than replace shelving and infrastructure.
Reporting based on coverage from GlobeNewswire, The Manila Times and Digital Commerce 360.