This Amazon robot has a sense of feel
Amazon has developed a new warehouse robot called Vulcan, capable of “feeling” items it handles through the use of force sensors. The two-armed robot is designed to navigate and manage goods within Amazon’s storage compartments.
Vulcan’s functionality involves one arm rearranging items in a compartment while the second arm, equipped with a camera and suction cup, retrieves specific items. According to Amazon, Vulcan was trained using physical data, including force and touch feedback, enabling it to handle around 75% of Amazon’s stock.
The robot has been deployed in warehouses located in Spokane, Washington, and Hamburg, Germany. To date, Vulcan has processed over half a million orders and is capable of self-improvement over time.
Vulcan is the latest addition to Amazon’s extensive fleet of warehouse robots, which totals hundreds of thousands across its global storage facilities. Amazon asserts that the primary purpose of robots like Vulcan is to enhance warehouse safety, contrary to criticisms suggesting they are intended to replace human workers.