Amazon has unveiled its first autonomous mobile robot, which is intended to reduce the workload of warehouse workers. Porteus, the self-driving robot, moves through Amazon facilities using advanced safety, perception, and navigation technology developed by Amazon. The robot has been fine-tuned to work seamlessly around people. Previously, Amazon found it difficult to use robots in the same areas as employees, but with Proetus, there is no need to be confined to restricted areas.
"Proteus navigates our facilities autonomously using Amazon's advanced safety, perception, and navigation technology." The robot was designed to be self-directed and move around employees, eliminating the need for it to be confined to specific areas." According to a blog post by Amazon.
According to the company, Proetus "augments simple, safe interaction between technology and people—opening up a broader range of possible uses to help our employees—such as the lifting and movement of GoCarts, the non-automated, wheeled transports used to move packages through our facilities," according to the blog.
Amazon has also revealed a new robotic system called Cardinal. Cardinal includes a robotic arm that can move packages. Amazon intends to have the robots in its warehouses by the end of next year. Cardinal has stated that it has sped up the shipping process on Amazon. Cardinal does this by converting batch-based manual work into continuous, automated work. "We're currently testing a Cardinal prototype for handling packages weighing up to 50 pounds, and we expect to deploy the technology in fulfilment centres next year," said the company.
Amazon acquired the robotics company Kiva in 2012. Amazon stated that acquiring Kiva was bold move, but it has accelerated their business. The acquisition made Amazon work safer, easier, and more productive for its employees.