Amazon Scout robot, a little cooler-shaped device that can navigate sidewalks, will no longer be used to deliver products to customers.
The e-commerce giant has stopped conducting field tests for the experimental machine and is "reorienting" the program now.
Amazon spokesperson Alisa Carroll confirmed the news to Reuters.
Carroll said, "During our Scout limited field test, we worked to create a unique delivery experience but learned through feedback that there were aspects of the program that weren't meeting customers' needs." She added that the company does not entirely plan to give up on the project.
Meanwhile, according to Bloomberg's report via Engadget, the Scout team has been disbanded. A skeleton workforce will be left to investigate the usage of autonomous delivery robots, but the majority of its 400 members will be offered new positions inside the corporation.
The Launching of Scout Bots
In 2019, Amazon began testing its new delivery robot, Scout. It deployed six units of the bots, which were based in Seattle, to carry products north of the company's headquarters. The machine is capable of following a delivery route on its own. Although a human worker throughout the tests accompanied it, it could stop in front of a client's front door and lift its lid so that the consumer may collect their item from the machine.
Following the completion of that initial rollout, Amazon extended its tests to locations in Franklin, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia, and Southern California.
In 2017, Amazon stealthily bought Dispatch, a startup specializing in last-mile deliveries. The creation of the Scout robot was made possible using the company's resources and experience.
Is Amazon Pulling Back its Projects?
Carroll did not specify what the specific components of the initiative "weren't fulfilling the needs of customers," but this is one of the recent moves by Amazon, signaling that it is pulling back its experimental ventures.
A few days back, the retail company discontinued the kid-oriented video-calling device known as Glow. The product was just released one year ago.
The product was canceled despite receiving a vast majority of positive comments and reviews. With this, many individuals are uncertain as to the reason why the corporation abruptly stopped selling it.
On the other hand, Engadget stated that it was probably because sales were disappointing.
Amazon's Previous Investments in More Robotic Units
The e-commerce firm continues to invest in robotics despite ending two of its two products. The Robot Report summarized the previous purchases of the company.
In August, Amazon bought iRobot for $1.7 billion, double the amount it spent on Kiva Systems in 2012. The FTC is scrutinizing this agreement for potential concerns.
Then last month, Amazon agreed to buy the Belgium-based mechatronics business Cloostermans. It has been selling products to Amazon since 2019, including the technology to transport and stack huge pallets and totes, plus other robots to package client deliveries.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Trisha Kae Andrada
