Amazon has launched a new robot in its German and US warehouses that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and sensors to find and use items more efficiently when packing orders.
The robot, named Vulcan, uses a robotic arm with a special branch to move items on shelves and identify what it is looking for, learning through touch which items it is searching for.
It still can’t match the human touch, but this is a step towards increasing automation in Amazon’s warehouses.
The robot will work alongside humans to improve the speed and ease of packing, with any items it cannot find then being passed to humans to pack.
Increased automation in warehouses may see some jobs eliminated, but Amazon has created new roles assisting robots and further improving their functionality through AI.
This launch could see more manufacturing return to the US, especially Apple’s iPhone assembly, with this type of work needing increased automation through robots with sophisticated touching abilities to pack delicate items.
