Amazon announced that it has deployed more than 75 robots in its freight distribution centers, and has now added a new and more sensitive robot "Vulcan" with "touch". It will be able to use force feedback sensors to determine the force of its push or grip on objects, thereby determining whether it will cause damage to the items.
Aaron Parness, Amazon's director of applied science, said that in the past, robots were often unable to correctly judge whether they were applying excessive force to objects. "Vulcan," which incorporates force feedback sensing elements, can further sense such situations and learn through artificial intelligence to determine the appropriate level of force to apply when moving objects.
Amazon also explained that it trained Vulcan through a large amount of data and used algorithms to learn how to handle thousands of items and handling tasks, such as how to carry precision electronic equipment with steady force or pick up socks with simple movements.
At the same time, Amazon also boasted that "Vulcan" will be able to learn from its mistakes, which means that over time it will be able to more accurately judge the force that should be applied to objects.
Amazon also explained that the introduction of "Vulcan" is to improve the efficiency of picking goods in freight distribution centers and ensure the safety of distribution center workers. For example, the robot can help move goods placed 8 feet (about 2.44 meters) above the ground in the warehouse, and reduce the risks that may arise when workers have to climb up and down to pick up goods, while also improving overall work efficiency.
Currently, "Vulcan" has been deployed and put into use at Amazon's freight distribution centers in Spokane, Washington, and Hamburg, Germany.
In addition to Vulcan, Amazon also announced the deployment of6 more robots, including the robot "Tipper" that can automatically unload goods from trucks and transfer them to logistics conveyor belts, and the robot system "Echelon" that can read data related to goods on the conveyor belt.
It also includes "Agility" and "Matrix" that can help sort goods, as well as the "ZancaSort" robot that can deliver goods and designated packaging materials directly to workers at an ergonomic height, allowing them to complete packaging operations more efficiently.
Finally, VASS can be used to classify goods using computer vision and projection technology, allowing the goods to be further sorted into corresponding picking areas, making it easier for staff or robots to pick up goods later.
