A decade after Amazon acquired Kiva Systems, the company designed the crating robot that remains the foundation of Amazon’s warehouse robotics. Over the years, the retail giant has expanded its range of warehouse “robots” – hundreds of thousands of them now occupy logistics centers across the United States.
As one might imagine, robotic arms are a big part of the puzzle, and Robin (which debuted 18 months ago) and Cardinal (which launched this year) are two of the most prominent examples, both designed to move packages and send them around the warehouse. cardinal is actually an upgraded version of Robin, capable of packing boxes full of packages. About 1,000 Robin units are currently deployed in Amazon’s warehouses.
At an event held at the Robotics Center in Westborough, Massachusetts (about 40 minutes from downtown Boston), the company added a third robot named after a bird to the mix: Sparrow.
The new robot arm is a more sophisticated version of the company’s existing robot arm, adding the ability to pick and place specific objects in boxes. According to the company, the arm’s computer vision and artificial intelligence can identify and move “millions” of items.
In response, Amazon wrote in a press release.
Working with our employees, Sparrow will take on repetitive tasks, allowing our employees to focus their time and energy on other things, while also advancing safety. At the same time, Sparrow will help us drive efficiencies and automate a key part of our fulfillment process so that we can continue to serve our customers.
Of course, the company is quick to point out that Sparrow (and other robots) are designed to replace repetitive tasks – and perhaps save a few lives in the process. Understandably, it preempts the standard criticism of companies automating their work but points out that these systems have become the norm.
In the long run, there is the ability to actually create more jobs, and those jobs are “better” than standard warehouse work.
Amazon also included a note about its employee education program, stating.
An example of our commitment to advancing the careers of our employees is our Amazon Mechatronics and Robotics Apprenticeship Program. A 12-week classroom apprenticeship program covered by Amazon, followed by 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and industry-recognized certifications, helps our employees learn new skills and pursue in-demand technical maintenance roles. Upon completion of the apprenticeship, program participants receive an approximate 40% increase in employee wages.
