Purpose: Amazon's most well-known warehouse robots are the Kiva robots, which were acquired by Amazon in 2012 and later rebranded as Amazon Robotics.
Functionality: Kiva robots are used for material handling and order fulfillment within the warehouses. They are designed to transport entire shelves of products to human workers rather than having workers walk through the warehouse to find items.
Collaboration with Humans: Humans at Amazon warehouses pick and pack items from the shelves that the Kiva robots bring to them. The collaboration between robots and humans optimizes the order fulfillment process.
Pegasus and Xanthus Robots:
Purpose: Amazon has also developed its own in-house robots, such as Pegasus and Xanthus, for different warehouse tasks.
Functionality: These robots are designed for tasks like transporting packages, moving large inventory bins, or sorting items. Each type of robot is typically specialized for a specific function within the warehouse workflow.
Robo-Stow:
Purpose: Robo-Stow is an Amazon robot designed for automated stowing of inventory items.
Functionality: It works by autonomously moving inventory items to storage locations. This helps optimize the use of warehouse space and ensures that items are stored in an organized manner, making retrieval more efficient.
Scooter Robots:
Purpose: Amazon has also experimented with smaller, more agile robots, often referred to as "scooter" robots.
Functionality: These robots are designed for tasks like shuttling smaller items between workstations. They can navigate through tight spaces and collaborate with human workers in a dynamic environment.
Machine Learning and AI:
Integration: Amazon's warehouse robots often integrate machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms for navigation and decision-making. This allows them to adapt to changing environments and optimize their routes for efficiency.
Continuous Improvement: The systems are designed to continuously learn from data, enabling the robots to improve their performance over time and adapt to changes in the warehouse layout or inventory.
Safety Features:
Obstacle Avoidance: Warehouse robots are equipped with sensors and cameras to detect obstacles and navigate around them safely.
Human Interaction: Safety is a top priority, and these robots are designed to work alongside human employees without posing a risk. They can detect and avoid humans in their path.
