Amazon just revealed that its warehouses now deploy more than 750,000 robots, most of these are robotic arms or wheel-based machines designed for repetitive jobs to free up employees for other tasks.
But Amazon’s latest deployment may have some warehouse workers looking over their shoulders as this particular contraption looks and moves more like them. The very fact that the robots can do some warehouse tasks is a concern.
Undergoing testing at its robotics research and development site just south of Seattle, Digit is a humanoid robot that’s capable of moving between locations while grasping and handling packages destined for customers.
Digit has been around since 2019 when it was being touted as a potential delivery robot. Built by Oregon-based startup Agility Robotics, the bipedal robot has since been improved to be more mobile and agile. That came about with Amazon’s added funding and support.
“Its size and shape are well suited for buildings that are designed for humans, and we believe that there is a big opportunity to scale a mobile manipulator solution, such as Digit, which can work collaboratively with employees,” Amazon said.
In the online post this week, Amazon added that its initial use for Digit will be to help employees with the repetitive task of picking up and moving empty crates after they’ve been emptied of picked items.
Amazon also said it’s deploying a robotic system called Sequoia at one of its warehouses in Houston, Texas. The low-slung, wheel-based robot is capable of identifying and storing inventory 75% more quickly, helping it to slash the processing time of orders by as much as 25%, the company claimed.
However, the company insists that it wants its machines to be collaborative and to support employees, and not take their jobs.
Many people believe that the company is hoping and dreaming for a day when most of its jobs will be done by robots.
Amazon maintains that its approach is central to how it designs and deploys systems like Sequoia and Digit.
In a statement, the company said the following:
“Over the last 10 years, we’ve rolled out hundreds of thousands of robotics systems while also creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs within our operations.
“By equipping our employees with new technology and training them to develop new skills, we’re creating career paths and new and exciting ways for people to contribute here at Amazon.”
