Amazon announces its newest warehouse robot
Amazon unveiled “Sparrow,” a new intelligent robotics system that aims to simplify the fulfillment process by moving individual products before they’re packaged.
Unlike the retail giant’s previously deployed robotic arms, which include arms like “Cardinal” and “Robin,” Amazon claims the Sparrow arm can identify around 65% of its product inventory. without human help.
Sparrow uses computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) to recognize and process millions of items, streamline processes and save human energy, as the company says Amazon employees on Around the world, around 5 billion packages are picked, stacked or packaged — or more than 13 million packages per day.
Why is Amazon betting on robots?
“Robot technology allows us to work smarter, not harder, to be efficient and safe,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. blog post news announcements.
“Working with our employees, Sparrow will take on repetitive tasks, allowing our employees to focus their time and energy on other things, while improving safety .”
Sources have indicated that the retail giant is in dire need of robotic intervention.
Leaked internal research, originally reported by Vox (opens in a new tab)claims that Amazon could run out of employees willing to work in its warehouses by 2024 if it doesn’t change its hiring practices.
“If we continue to do business as usual, Amazon will deplete the available labor supply in the US network by 2024,” reads the study.
Amazon has long bet on robotics, in 2012 it made a big investment to improve productivity in its supply chain by acquiring Kiva, a robotics company whose technology is still in use. popular in the next 10 years.
Robots are not taking on human jobs, they are also creating them if Amazon’s claims are to be believed.
The company estimates that more than 700 new types of jobs have been created in its operations to date thanks to the implementation of automated technology.
- Interested in making your own foray into the world of online retail? Check out our guide to best e-commerce communication