Amazon recently announced that it has installed its one-millionth robot inside its fulfilment centres, marking a significant milestone that aptly illustrates the swift advancement of automation in contemporary commerce. This historic robot, which was unveiled at a Japanese facility, represents the extent to which robotics has permeated Amazon’s everyday operations.
Amazon announced in a press release that it has introduced DeepFleet, a new generative AI foundation model, to further increase the efficiency of its enormous robot army. Amazon claims that DeepFleet will increase fleet travel efficiency by 10% by coordinating robot movements throughout its extensive fulfilment network. 10% may seem like a small amount, but when multiplied by millions of packages and thousands of robots working every day, it adds up to substantial savings and quicker deliveries.
The Wall Street Journal claims that Amazon may soon have more robots than humans, which is perhaps even more startling. Amazon employs about 1.56 million people worldwide, the majority of whom work in warehouses, so its fleet of robots is rapidly catching up. These machines perform a wide range of tasks that previously required large teams of people, such as picking orders, moving shelves, and sorting packages.
Since its initial warehouse robots in 2012, Amazon’s robotics journey has advanced significantly. An entire shelf could be moved by a single robot back then. The fleet now consists of heavy-lifters like Pegasus, which uses precision conveyor belts, and Hercules, which can move 1,250 pounds of cargo. Proteus, Amazon’s first fully autonomous mobile robot, is the main attraction. It can safely manoeuvre around human workers while towing carts.
Amazon claims that its robots are actually opening up new opportunities, despite worries that automation will replace jobs. According to the company, 700,000 workers have been upskilled to work with cutting-edge technologies, and many of them have moved into more technical, higher-paying positions.
In the future, Amazon sees warehouse robots that can respond to spoken commands, act as intelligent assistants, and even resemble humanoids with heads, arms, and legs. Amazon has a clear vision for the future: automation will change the nature of work itself, not just increase efficiency.