Amazon has been known as a huge proponent of automation in its warehouse and the technology it uses. The company has just recently announced the addition of a fully autonomous mobile warehouse robot called Proteus.
Amazon is Adding a Fully Autonomous Mobile Robot for Its Warehouses
The company has just announced a fully autonomous mobile robot that is designed to help move large carts throughout the warehouse. This robot was noted as the "first" fully autonomous mobile robot and goes by the name Proteus.
As per Amazon, the robot is capable of navigating around employees. This is different from the robots that the companies have used in the past since they needed to be kept in separate caged areas due to their lack of full automation, as per the New York Times.
New Fully Autonomous Warehouse Robot is Called 'Proteus'
Amazon notes that its new Proteus robots are capable of "advanced safety, perception, and navigation technology." A video was uploaded to YouTube showcasing how a green light is located in front of the robots while they move around.
According to the story by The Verge, whenever the robot senses a human in the area, the robot stops moving, and once the human steps away, the robot will then continue its route. As per the company, there are numerous robotic systems added as well.
Amazon is Also Adding a Robotic Arm Called Cardinal
Amazon will also be adding Cardinal, a robotic arm capable of lifting weights up to 50 pounds. The company is hoping to deploy the robotic arms in its warehouses sometime next year.
The company noted that the robot's computer vision systems allow users to pick out and lift certain individual packages. This means that the robot is capable of lifting the packages despite them being in a pile.
How the Robot is Capable of Scanning Barcodes
A video was posted to YouTube showing off the tech that could allow employees to simply no longer use hand scanners in order to log barcodes. The workers, instead, will simply have to stand in front of a camera system in order for it to recognize the packages without needing to pause and scan the label.
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Amazon Lead Says the Move to Add Robots is Not to Replace People
Not a lot of details were revealed regarding how the technology works aside from being a combination of a 120 fps camera system and machine learning. The effect, however, is similar to that of the tech being used in the company's cashier-less stores called the Just Walk Out tech.
The company stated that its move to build robots is not to be in replacement of hiring people as reported in an article by Vox. An Amazon robotics division lead gave a statement to Forbes saying "replacing people with machines is just a fallacy," which could lead to them potentially going "out of business."
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Written by Urian B.
