- Amazon’s latest storage robot can feel items that it handles
- Vulcan has already processed 500,000 orders in pilots
- It works together with workers to start efficiency and security
Amazon has revealed a brand new warehouse robot, as it calls Vulcan, and it is one step closer to being human than many people might be comfortable with, but for good reason.
Vulcan has the ability to ‘feel’ the objects it interacts with using force sensors and tactile feedback, which means Amazon can improve precision and reduce errors in its stocks.
The (fortunately not humanoid) Robot uses two separate arms, one for rearranging items in rooms and another, equipped with a camera and suction cup to be used for recycling items.
Amazon Vulcan Robot can “feel” items
The company noted that Vulcan was trained using physical data, including power and touch feedback, and it is already capable of choosing about three-quarters of the e-commerce giant’s warehouse, which has already processed over 500,000 orders in pilot developments in Spokane, Washington and Hamburg, Germany.
Vulcan is also capable of self -improvement, learning experiences that a human child would do.
Because of this ability to learn combined with touch sensors and tactility, Amazon says that Vulcan mimics human dexterity so that it can manipulate tightly packed spaces without damaging objects.
It is also capable of identifying when it cannot currently handle a product that calls for a human being for help.
Remarkably, Vulcan in heavily stacked shelves and higher stocks is able to access objects faster than humans because it does not have to use a ladder and improve safety and efficiency. It is also said to work with speeds comparable to humans.
“Vulcan works with our employees and the combination is better than either on its own,” explained Amazon Robotics Director of Applied Science Aaron Parness.
Amazon now has more than 750,000 robots already in use across its warehouses, as it emphasizes is there to support and cooperate with human workers instead of replacing them. Other projects include Sparrow, Robin, Cardinal and Proteus – the company’s first autonomous robot.
“Our vision is to scale this technology across our network, improve operational efficiency, improve the safety of the workplace and support our employees by reducing physically demanding tasks,” concluded parness.
