Amazon unveils 'Vulcan' robot with sense of touch
Listen to article
Amazon has unveiled a new robot named Vulcan that it says marks a 'fundamental leap forward in robotics,' as it introduces machines with a human-like sense of touch into its warehouse operations.
The AI-powered robot is capable of identifying and handling about 75% of items in Amazon's vast fulfilment centres, using both vision and tactile feedback to sort and store products.
Vulcan was introduced at Amazon's Delivering the Future event in Dortmund on Wednesday and is expected to roll out globally over the coming years.
Aaron Parness, Amazon's director of robotics, said Vulcan is the first in its fleet to 'feel' as well as see. 'It's not just seeing the world, it's feeling it, enabling capabilities that were impossible for Amazon robots until now,' he said.
The robot is designed to ease physical strain for human workers by reaching items on upper and lower shelving units, eliminating the need for ladders or excessive bending.
It will operate alongside Amazon's existing fleet of more than 750,000 robots that already move shelves and assist at picking stations.
The development has raised questions about job security. As labour costs rise, many global retailers are increasing investment in automation.
Amazon has faced repeated industrial action in the UK and elsewhere over pay and working conditions in its warehouses.
Economists at Goldman Sachs warned in 2023 that 300 million jobs worldwide could be lost to automation by 2030. The Tony Blair Institute estimated that in the UK alone, up to 275,000 jobs could be displaced annually at the height of the disruption.
Still, Amazon's chief robotics technologist, Tye Brady, insists humans remain essential. 'There's no such thing as completely automated,' he said. 'People will always be part of the equation.'
Brady likened Vulcan to Star Wars character R2D2 — a helpful companion, not a replacement. He said humans are key not just for nuanced decision-making, but also for spotting routine issues like broken or spilt items, and for responding to potential cyber threats.
Amazon also plans to deploy machine-learning systems to create custom-fit packaging to reduce waste, with over 70 machines to be installed across Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain by year's end, and more by 2027.
The news comes as Amazon launched its Amazon Haul site in the UK this week, targeting budget-conscious consumers with thousands of products under £20 — directly challenging low-cost rivals Shein and Temu.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Reddit sues AI firm
Social media outlet Reddit filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against artificial intelligence company Anthropic, accusing the startup of illegally scraping millions of user comments to train its Claude chatbot without permission or compensation. The lawsuit in a California state court represents the latest front in the growing battle between content providers and AI companies over the use of data to train increasingly sophisticated language models that power the generative AI revolution. Anthropic, valued at $61.5 billion and heavily backed by Amazon, was founded in 2021 by former executives from OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. The company, known for its Claude chatbot and AI models, positions itself as focused on AI safety and responsible development. "This case is about the two faces of Anthropic: the public face that attempts to ingratiate itself into the consumer's consciousness with claims of righteousness and respect for boundaries and the law, and the private face that ignores any rules that interfere with its attempts to further line its pockets," the suit said. According to the complaint, Anthropic has been training its models on Reddit content since at least December 2021, with CEO Dario Amodei co-authoring research papers that specifically identified high-quality content for data training. The lawsuit alleges that despite Anthropic's public claims that it had blocked its bots from accessing Reddit, the company's automated systems continued to harvest Reddit's servers more than 100,000 times in subsequent months. Reddit is seeking monetary damages and a court injunction to force Anthropic to comply with its user agreement terms. The company has requested a jury trial. In an email to AFP, Anthropic said "We disagree with Reddit's claims and will defend ourselves vigorously." AI companies generally defend their practices by claiming fair use, arguing that training AI on large datasets fundamentally changes the original content and is necessary for innovation. afp
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Amazon to test humanoid robots for doorstep deliveries in Rivian vans
Listen to article Amazon is preparing to test a new generation of humanoid robots that could soon be delivering packages to your doorstep, according to a report by The Information. The e-commerce giant is developing AI software to power these autonomous delivery bots, which will be transported in Rivian electric vans and deployed directly to customers' homes. A prototype testing facility—described as an indoor "humanoid park" about the size of a coffee shop—has reportedly been constructed at Amazon's offices in San Francisco. The site includes an obstacle course and a Rivian van for training purposes, where robots are being taught to "hitch a ride" and leap out to make deliveries. The ambitious project is part of a broader push by Amazon to create more intelligent, flexible robotic systems that go beyond the rigid automation currently used in warehouses. The company recently launched a new 'agentic AI' team, focused on building robots that can interpret and respond to natural language commands. These systems, Amazon says, are designed to turn conventional warehouse bots into 'multi-talented assistants.' Amazon is already experimenting with humanoid robots through a pilot programme with Agility Robotics' 'Digit,' a bipedal machine designed for logistics tasks such as carrying packages and navigating confined spaces. The San Francisco test site will expand those efforts by evaluating a range of robots, including a $16,000 model from Chinese robotics firm Unitree. Currently, hundreds of thousands of workers manage Amazon's global delivery network. However, the company's acquisition of autonomous vehicle startup Zoox in 2020 hinted at a longer-term goal: full automation of its delivery pipeline, from warehouse to doorstep. Amazon has not confirmed a launch timeline for the delivery bots but says its research is focused on building systems that 'understand, hear, and act' more like humans—suggesting a future where your next Amazon order might be delivered not by a driver, but by a walking robot.
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business Recorder
Goldman Sachs pares risk after tariff move, braces for more uncertainty
NEW YORK: Goldman Sachs has moderated its risk-taking since U.S. President Donald Trump's April tariff announcement, and the Wall Street bank is braced for more uncertainty, a top executive said. 'We have moderated our risk positioning since April 2nd – I think that's a sensible thing for us to do,' Goldman President John Waldron said in a podcast released by the investment bank on Thursday. 'We're absorbing a lot of risk from our clients. We want to continue to do that, but we also, where we can, we (pare) our risk and stay a little bit closer to home.' Goldman is readying for continued uncertainty in the coming months, which means keeping a greater liquidity cushion, he said. Financial markets have been turbulent since Trump's so-called 'Liberation Day,' when he announced plans to increase tariffs on trading partners. Waldron, who is widely seen as the likely successor to Goldman CEO David Solomon, said the tariff move was 'very, very disruptive.' Goldman Sachs sees OPEC+ raising oil output by 0.41 mb/d in August Some companies are now starting to make business decisions based on assumptions that tariffs will be raised to a range of 10% to 15%, he said. 'We're moving into now an adjustment phase, and you'll see, I think, some more decision-making on capital spend, M&A transactions, capital return, stock buybacks,' Waldron said. The U.S. economy is still strong, backed by a solid labor market and consumer spending, he said. 'All those factors in the U.S. to me lead to a likely scenario where we don't have a recession,' he said. Meanwhile, Waldron warned investors were getting concerned about an unsustainable U.S. fiscal deficit. 'The bond market is starting to be heard, and I hope that gets some attention in the halls of Congress,' he said. Rating agency Moody's cut the pristine U.S. sovereign credit rating by one notch last month, the last of the major ratings agencies to downgrade the country, citing concerns about the nation's growing $36 trillion debt pile. The biggest question for markets is the path of interest rates, particularly in the long term, Waldron said. 'We're seeing a lot of increase in duration in the rate curves in the United States and Japan and many other countries - and I think that could be a brake on economic growth,' he said.
