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Amazon Deploys Its One Millionth Robot, Releases Generative AI Model
After 13 years of deploying robots into its warehouses, Amazon has reached a new milestone. The tech giant now boasts over one million robots in its warehouses, with the one millionth robot recently delivered to an Amazon fulfillment facility in Japan.
This significant number puts Amazon on track to potentially having the same number of robots working as people in its warehouses, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal. Furthermore, 75% of Amazon’s global deliveries are now assisted by a robot in some capacity, underscoring the company’s commitment to automation and technological advancements.
In conjunction with this milestone, Amazon has also announced the release of a new generative AI model called DeepFleet for its warehouse robots. This AI model is designed to optimize route coordination within the company’s warehouses, leading to an estimated 10% increase in robotic fleet efficiency.
The development of DeepFleet was facilitated by Amazon Sagemaker, the AWS cloud studio that enables users to build and deploy AI models. The company leveraged its own warehouse and inventory data to train the model, further emphasizing its dedication to utilizing AI in its operations.
Amazon’s journey towards widespread robotics adoption began over a decade ago with the acquisition of Kiva Systems in 2012. Since then, the company has continued to enhance its robotic capabilities, including introducing new models such as Vulcan in May. The Vulcan robot features two arms – one for rearranging inventory and another equipped with a camera and suction cup for item retrieval. Notably, these robots possess a sense of “touch” that enables them to detect items without relying on visual recognition.
Additionally, Amazon has started building its next-generation fulfillment centers, which will house ten times the number of robots as current facilities alongside human workers. The first such center recently opened in Shreveport, Louisiana, near the state’s Texas border.
Amazon’s relentless pursuit of innovation and automation underscores its commitment to streamlining operations and improving efficiency across its vast network of warehouses.
Source: techcrunch.com
