Robotics is nothing new at Amazon. The e-commerce giant has been betting on this discipline for more than a decade to optimize its operations. What is interesting is the automation level that are reaching their warehouses. We are witnessing firsthand how the company launches “new generation” facilities in which both algorithms and machines play an enormous role.
Amazon announced this week some interesting details about its new, more advanced fulfillment center, a model for its upcoming projects. We are looking at a five-story, 278,700-square-foot building in Shreveport, Louisiana, which promises to employ technology in all important areas. Specifically, the systems are powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and ten times more robots have been deployed.
From robotic arms to autonomous vehicles
In the aforementioned Amazon facility we can find mobile robots that move completely autonomously and carry shelves with products for shipments. This is a variety of devices whose technological base is found in a company called Kiva that Jeff Bezos bought in 2012. Three models of robotic arms also come into play, Robin, Cardinal and Sparrow, which classify and order shipments with great precision and without rest.
Amazon says the latest version of Sparrow has a machine vision system that has allowed it to become the most reliable robotic arm in the industry. In this sense, it has been trained to handle 200 million products. The company has also launched a multi-level inventory system called Sequoia that works together with robotic systems and employees to streamline logistics center tasks.
Certainly, many tasks that were once performed entirely by humans are now being taken over by robots. This is not to say that there are few people working in Shreveport. The facility is in its early stages of operation right now, but Amazon estimates that when it begins working at full capacity it will employ about 2.500 personas. A really considerable number.
An interesting point is that, according to Amazon, the commitment to automation will result in an increase in its workforce, although with a notable change. The most requested positions will come from maintenance personnel and engineering specialists. As we can see, the way e-commerce companies’ warehouses work is changing, which is driving a new work dynamic.
Images | Amazon (1, 2)
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