Amazon says its warehouses now house more than 750,000 robotsMost are robotic arms or wheeled machines designed for repetitive work to free up employees for other tasks.
But the latest implementation Amazon may cause some warehouse workers to look over their shoulders as this particular invention is more to their liking.
Digit, being tested at its robotics research and development center south of Seattle, is a humanoid robot capable of moving between locations, grabbing and manipulating packages destined for customers.
Created by Oregon startup Agility Robotics, the bipedal robot has since been improved to become more mobile and maneuverable. These improvements were driven in part by Amazon’s investments.
“Its size and shape are well suited for buildings meant for people, and we believe there is a huge opportunity to scale a mobile data solution like Digit that can work collaboratively with employees,” Amazon said in an online post this week, adding that the initial use of Digit will be to help employees complete the repetitive tasks of picking up and moving empty boxes after they’ve been emptied.
Amazon also said it is deploying a robotic system called Sequoia at one of its warehouses in Houston, Texas. The low-profile wheeled robot can identify and stock inventory 75% faster, helping reduce order processing time by up to 25%, the company says.
While many observers believe Amazon is dreaming of the day when it can run its entire warehouse operations with robots, the company insists it wants its machines to work collaboratively and support employees, an approach that is central to its development and the implementation of systems such as Sequoia and Digital.
“Over the past 10 years, we have deployed hundreds of thousands of robotic systems while creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs across our operations,” Amazon said, adding: “By equipping our employees with new technologies and “training them to develop new skills, we are creating career paths.” and new and exciting ways for people to contribute here at Amazon.”
Source: Digital Trends
I am Garth Carter and I work at Gadget Onus. I have specialized in writing for the Hot News section, focusing on topics that are trending and highly relevant to readers. My passion is to present news stories accurately, in an engaging manner that captures the attention of my audience.
