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Amazon has introduced its new warehouse robot called “Proteus.” This robot is the first fully autonomous warehouse robot from the company.
Amazon has been using robots in its warehouse for over a decade. These machines help the company collect and process orders faster, creating a more enjoyable experience for customers. But the latest robot in the Amazon warehouse has something different. It’s fully autonomous.
Amazon says Proteus moves in the warehouse without any human guide and moves packages from one place to another. The company has even posted a video of Proteus showing the robot moving under the carts and transporting them to other locations.
“Proteus is our first fully autonomous mobile robot. Historically, it’s been difficult to safely incorporate robotics in the same physical space as people. We believe Proteus will change that while remaining smart, safe, and collaborative.” Amazon noted.
Amazon incorporates robots into the warehouse facilities
As per the company’s announcement, Proteus uses an “advanced safety, perception and navigation technology” to prevent interference with human employees. To do so, Proteus emits a green beam and stops working if a human worker appears in front of it.
Amazon says its goal is to minimize the need for human force to move package carts around its facilities. Also, it wants to create a safer workspace for its employees.
Proteus is not the only robot in warehouse facilities. Cardinal is another robot that wants to reduce the risk of injuries for employees over the movement of heavy packages. The robot uses AI and computer vision to pick the right packages, then reads their label and puts them in the right card for the next stage. Amazon is now testing a new version of Cardinal that is able to handle packages of up to 50 pounds.
In recent years, Amazon has introduced several robots for its warehouse. However, the company always says it doesn’t want to replace human workers with robots. Amazon robotics lead once told Forbes that “replacing people with machines is just a fallacy” and could kick the company out of business.