Amazon trials humanoid warehouse robots to support workforce

Share
Amazon has started testing Digit, a two-legged ​robot that can grasp and lift items, which comes as a result of its partnership with Agility Robotics. Pic: Amazon
Amazon began using robotics in its facilities in 2012, and since then the company says it has added hundreds of thousands of jobs worldwide

Amazon says it has begun testing human-like robot solutions at its robotics research and development site to perform repetitive tasks and work collaboratively with employees.

The company has started testing Digit, a two-legged ​robot that can grasp and lift items, which comes as a result of its partnership with Agility Robotics. Amazon says the device will first be used to shift empty tote boxes, a ‘highly repetitive’ process.

“Digit can move, grasp, and handle items in spaces and corners of warehouses in novel ways,” the company said in an announcement. “Its size and shape are well suited for buildings that are designed for humans, and we believe that there is a big opportunity to scale a mobile manipulator solution, such as Digit, which can work collaboratively with employees.”

Robotics at Amazon

The world’s largest online retailer has shown a growing interest in robotics since founding its robotics arm, Amazon Robotics in 2003. The company acquired autonomous warehouse robotics startup Canvas Technology, which designs and develops mobile robotic technology for factories and warehouses, in 2020.

Amazon began using robotics in its facilities in 2012, and since then the company says it has added hundreds of thousands of jobs worldwide.

Last year Amazon revealed its intelligent robotic system, Sparrow, which it says streamlines the fulfilment process by moving individual products before they get packaged.

Youtube Placeholder

Amazon says Sparrow is the first robotic system in its warehouses that can detect, select, and handle individual products in its inventory. The company says Sparrow represents a significant advancement in the state-of-the-art technology of industrial robotics, leveraging computer vision and AI to recognise and handle millions of items.

“For over a decade, we’ve pioneered technology and robotics in our operations, driving innovation and growth that directly benefits our employees and customers,” Joseph Quinlivan, Vice President Fulfillment Technologies and Robotics at Amazon, said in a blog post earlier this year. “The rate of our innovation has only accelerated, thanks in large part to unprecedented advancements in AI. Throughout the years, we’ve consistently focused on building safe, practical, and dependable technology and robotics that optimise our supply chain.”

Amazon says the deployment of robots has created 700 categories of new job types, in skilled roles, which didn’t exist within the company beforehand

“By equipping our employees with new technology and training them to develop new skills, we’re creating career paths and new and exciting ways for people to contribute here at Amazon,” it says.

******

For more insights into the world of Technology - check out the latest edition of Technology Magazine and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn & Twitter.

Other magazines that may be of interest - AI Magazine | Cyber Magazine.

Please also check out our upcoming event - Net Zero LIVE on 6 and 7 March 2024.  

******

BizClik is a global provider of B2B digital media platforms that cover Executive Communities for CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, Sustainability leaders, Procurement & Supply Chain leaders, Technology & AI leaders, Cyber leaders, FinTech & InsurTech leaders as well as covering industries such as Manufacturing, Mining, Energy, EV, Construction, Healthcare and Food.

BizClik – based in London, Dubai, and New York – offers services such as content creation, advertising & sponsorship solutions, webinars & events.

Share

Featured Articles

Ox Horn: The Faux ‘European’ Campus Homing Asia’s R&D Leader

Operating out of an amalgamated town of Europe’s most beautiful cities, this Disney-esq town conceals the fact it is the campus of Asia’s R&D leader

Is Quantum Tech Key to Unlocking UN Sustainability Goals?

WEF explores quantum technologies' potential to accelerate UN sustainability goals, highlighting applications and ecosystem challenges for global impact

Women in STEM: Retention Crisis Amidst World Talent Shortage

New report highlights strategies for retaining female talent in STEM fields, addressing global workforce challenges during National Inclusion Week

Cloudera: Unlocking Real Business Value from Data Analytics

Enterprise IT

Microsoft's Investment in Brazil Boosts Tech and Economy

AI & Machine Learning

OpenAI in Transition Period as Mira Murati Steps Down as CTO

AI & Machine Learning