Neither human nor machine: that’s Vulcan, the robot that blurs the line between the two
Amazon has rolled out a new robot to join its 750,000-strong mechanical workforce to work alongside human employees to improve efficiency and safety.
Amazon has unveiled a new robot called Vulcan which “represents a fundamental leap forward in robotics,” says Aaron Parness, director of robotics at Amazon. He says that unlike other robots, Vulcan is neither “numb” nor “dumb” as it has a sense of touch.
“It’s not just seeing the world, it’s feeling it, enabling capabilities that were impossible for robots until now,” explains Parness. “Our vision is to scale this technology across our network, enhancing operational efficiency, improving workplace safety, and supporting our employees by reducing physically demanding tasks,” he added.
Amazon’s Vulcan robot
Amazon created Vulcan after the ecommerce giant realized that every time that an employee had to get to the upper storage pods to retrieve a product that they were “spending time on a less ergonomic and less efficient task.” It required years of work to develop all sorts of tech and train the new machine using AI.
Unlike Amazon’s Sparrow, Cardinal, and Robin systems that use vision and suction cups to move individual products and packages, Vulcan also uses a sense of touch. This gives it the “ability to understand when and how it makes contact with an object,” says Amazon.
Like its human coworkers, Vulcan has the “finesse” and “natural dexterity of humans” to fit an item into or pluck one out of the fabric-covered pods where inventory is stored in fulfillment centers.
Amazon says that Vulcan can handle roughly three quarters of the products they have in their inventory. When it identifies something that it can’t, Vulcan “can ask a human partner to tag in.”
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.