Major breakthrough! Amazon launches "tactile robots" capable of grasping about three-quarters of items in the warehouse
Vulcan is capable of tactile recognition through AI technology, assessing which items can be handled and which cannot, and calculating the best grabbing methods. It will subsequently work in collaboration with human workers
Author: Li Xiaoyin
Source: Hard AI
Amazon releases tactile robot, is the logistics industry facing a technological revolution?
On Wednesday, Amazon unveiled its revolutionary robot Vulcan at the "Leading the Future" event in Dortmund, Germany. The most astonishing feature of this robot is its "tactile perception" capability, which, driven by AI, can identify and grasp about three-quarters of the items in Amazon's warehouses.
Aaron Parness, Amazon's robotics director, stated:
"This is a fundamental leap in robotics technology. It can not only see the world but also feel the world, achieving capabilities that were previously impossible for Amazon robots."
According to reports, Vulcan can perform tactile recognition through AI technology, assessing which items can be moved and which cannot, and calculating the best way to grasp them. These robots will work alongside human workers, who are currently responsible for retrieving items from shelf units moved to picking stations by wheeled robots (of which Amazon currently has over 750,000 in operation).
Notably, Vulcan will be able to store items on both the upper and lower levels of shelf units (referred to as pods), meaning human workers will no longer need to use ladders or frequently bend down to work.
Full automation is not yet achievable
Nevertheless, Tye Brady, Amazon's chief robotics technologist, stated that robots cannot completely replace human jobs in the company's warehouses; their presence is meant to "amplify human potential" and improve workplace safety.
Brady remarked:
"Humans will always be part of the equation, while machines will take on 'monotonous, tedious, and repetitive' tasks."
"There is no such thing as complete automation. It simply doesn't exist because you always need humans to understand the value of operations and apply common sense."
Brady also added that AI is helping to develop robots capable of autonomously navigating complex spaces and learning to move safely around people and other objects. He mentioned that the latest generation of robots can "seek help," allowing them to learn new ways of working.
"Combining thought and physicality is really exciting; it's finally here, and this is just the beginning."
Layoff risks amid the wave of automation
As retailers reduce human involvement in distribution centers, this development may raise concerns about large-scale layoffs.
Reports indicate that various retailers are increasing automation investments as global labor costs rise. Amazon has faced industrial actions in the UK and other regions due to low warehouse wages.
Goldman Sachs economists predicted in 2023 that by 2030, due to the development of generative AI, up to 300 million jobs worldwide could be automated, with more positions being fundamentally altered.
According to estimates from the Tony Blair Institute last year, in the UK, during the most disruptive periods, between 60,000 and 275,000 jobs could be replaced each year, a situation that could persist for decades
