When Amazon acquired robot maker Kiva Systems in 2012 it triggered a flurry of industrial robotics startups and opened the door for innovators to break new ground in the field of machine grasping.

They look, move and even smell like the kind of furry Everglades marsh rabbit a Burmese python would love to eat.

Technology breakthroughs are allowing DHL and other companies to automate the laborious, injury-prone work of loading and unloading.

Remote-controlled robot rabbits are being deployed to help tackle Florida’s invasive python problem. The Burmese python threatens the ecosystem of the Everglades by preying on wildlife ...