logo
Amazon unveils robot with ‘a sense of touch'

Amazon unveils robot with ‘a sense of touch'

Yahoo07-05-2025

Amazon has unveiled its first robot it says has a sense of touch that it calls a 'fundamental leap forward in robotics'.
Called Project Vulcan, the new robot has 'force feedback sensors' on the end of an arm and grabbing tool, which make it able to understand how much force it is applying to a push or grab, and can control that force to manipulate and clutch items without causing damage.
Amazon said Vulcan would join its array of robots already used in its warehouses and fulfilment centres to pick up and move items, but said Vulcan was now able to handle around three quarters of the millions of products the e-commerce giant offers, and can move stock at a speed comparable to human workers.
Aaron Parness, Amazon's director of robotics AI, said: 'Vulcan works alongside our employees, and the combination is better than either on their own.
ADVERTISEMENT
'Vulcan represents a fundamental leap forward in robotics.
'It's not just seeing the world, it's feeling it, enabling capabilities that were impossible for robots until now.'
The US firm said the development of the new type of robot was sparked by a desire to free up time for human staff, as well as improve safety and efficiency in its fulfilment centres.
And in response to concerns about robots replacing humans in the workplace, Amazon said its range of robots have created 'hundreds' of new categories of jobs at the firm, including maintenance engineers and monitoring staff for its robotic fleet.
Amazon said it also offers training schemes to help staff move into robotics and other fields.
Vulcan is expected to be rolled out to sites throughout Europe and the United States over the next 'couple of years'.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mr Parness said it was 'a technology that three years ago seemed impossible but is now set to help transform our operations'.
'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 said.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Amazon and US rivals navigate volatile tariff landscape
Amazon and US rivals navigate volatile tariff landscape

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Amazon and US rivals navigate volatile tariff landscape

The upcoming Amazon Prime Day 2025 arrives the United States amid widespread concern over shifting US-China trade policies, with tariff uncertainty casting a shadow over pricing, supply chains and sales strategies. Despite a temporary reduction in tariffs on Chinese imports, many e-commerce sellers and retail giants such as Amazon, Walmart and Target remain cautious ahead of one of the year's biggest online shopping events. Retail executives have repeatedly flagged the volatile tariff landscape as a top risk for their operations. Amazon's CFO Brian Olsavsky said the company's latest forecast reflects 'the general uncertainty' in global trade. His comments echoed warnings from Walmart and Best Buy leaders, who cited unpredictability around tariff levels and timing as a challenge for strategic planning. The U.S.-China tariff standoff had reached a peak earlier this year when import duties on Chinese goods soared to 145%. That prompted some brands to consider scaling back participation in Prime Day. A late-May agreement reduced those tariffs to 30%, offering temporary relief. Still, concerns remain as the legal status of tariffs continues to fluctuate, with pending court rulings expected to shape the near-term trade environment. Pattern, a commerce accelerator that works with brands across online marketplaces, reported scrambling to restock U.S. inventories after the tariff rollback. 'We were on the precipice,' said Brett Bardsley, the company's Chief International Officer, describing how airfreight and expedited shipping were used to fill gaps caused by earlier trade disruptions. For many sellers, Prime Day remains a high-stakes opportunity. More than 80% of Amazon Prime members surveyed in May indicated they plan to shop during the event—up from 68% in 2024—according to Tinuiti. Amazon is expected to stretch the sale across four days, doubling last year's duration. Still, not all brands are equally positioned. Companies heavily reliant on Chinese manufacturing are weighing whether they can offer competitive discounts while absorbing a 30% tariff. Others, like Flaus, a maker of electric flossers, say the lowered tariffs cleared the way for full Prime Day participation without raising prices—for now. Amazon has said it is pleased with the response from selling partners and is working to help them adapt. But categories like electronics, which have tighter margins and higher exposure to Chinese sourcing, may proceed cautiously. Shares in Amazon rebounded sharply in May after the tariff deal, gaining 11% for the month. That followed months of volatility tied to trade developments and investor concerns about rising costs and consumer demand. The stock remains just below a key technical buy point as of early June. While Amazon's e-commerce platform has not seen a significant rise in average selling prices, other retailers are less optimistic. Walmart's CFO John David Rainey recently warned that tariffs remain 'too high,' suggesting that shoppers could see price increases in the months ahead. The Trump administration, however, has pushed back against such claims, arguing that the current tariff policy is manageable for most businesses. Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy maintains that the company is well-positioned to gain market share during uncertain periods, citing its performance during past disruptions. Analysts say that while summer sales could see a lift from the tariff reprieve, the broader retail sector must still contend with unresolved trade tensions, inflationary pressure and shifting consumer sentiment. As the Supreme Court prepares to weigh in on the legality of current tariffs, industry watchers say retail strategies for the rest of 2025 will likely hinge on how trade policies evolve—and whether businesses can continue to absorb new costs without passing them on to consumers. Navigate the shifting tariff landscape with real-time data and market-leading analysis. Request a free demo for GlobalData's Strategic Intelligence . "Amazon and US rivals navigate volatile tariff landscape" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Amazon's latest big bet may flop
Amazon's latest big bet may flop

Miami Herald

time6 hours ago

  • Miami Herald

Amazon's latest big bet may flop

Science does not understand consciousness; this is an unsolved problem. Consciousness is possible with little to no intelligence, but there is no such thing as intelligence without consciousness. If you don't understand something, can you recreate it? I don't think it is likely to happen. How many neurons does an ant have? According to the University of Arizona News, a desert-harvesting ant species has about 90,000 or so brain cells. How did this question make you feel? Did it make you angry, surprised, or curious? Normally, if we are not under pressure, and there will be no negative outcome, if we are asked something we can't answer, there is no negative emotional reaction to it. Related: Veteran fund manager reboots Palantir stock price target If you are told something incorrect and genuinely understand the truth, you will not react angrily. Let's say someone tells you that the sky is brown. You might get worried about that person's health or question their intentions, but you shouldn't get angry. If a person's belief is questioned, we can expect an adverse reaction, especially if the belief is important and the argument against it is convincing. Sometimes we mix up what we know and think we know, but it is still a belief we have. When I first heard of Amazon's (AMZN) "Just Walk Out" system, I immediately saw the scene from a Silicon Valley TV show in which Jared hired a "click farm" in India to generate fake user activity for his company's website. I was convinced this Amazon system was a huge number of Indians doing the work and not an "AI." It turned out I was right. A lot of companies have been put into a tough spot by the tariff war. Amazon is no exception, and CEO Andy Jassy tried to explain how he plans to handle the situation during the company's first-quarter earnings call. "It's hard to tell what's going to happen with tariffs right now. It's hard to tell where they're going to settle and when they're going to settle. And so, a lot of what we're thinking about short and medium term actually turns out to be what we think about long-term too, which is, how do we actually have the broadest possible selection for customers at the lowest possible prices?" stated Jassy. Related: Samsung Galaxy phones add creepy AI feature It seems that the real answer is to create savings in Amazon's logistics. The company recently introduced a Vulcan robot, which, from what I've seen, is an advanced packing machine. Amazon calls it a robot because it sounds so much cooler. It is a good machine, and it probably saves the company a lot of money. After all, it can work for 20 hours straight without stopping. But it is not a robot replacing humans. It is a machine that helps them waste less time. Recently, an AI tech startup, Builder AI, backed by Microsoft, went bankrupt. They were building an AI platform that would make creating applications as "easy as ordering pizza". Even if you are not familiar with the story, you should be able to figure out where I am going with this. Real people were writing the code, not AI. This is what happens when companies start believing their marketing, and even the big ones are not immune to it. More Retail: Huge retail chain closing more stores soon (locations revealed)Struggling drugstore chain announces second bankruptcyBeloved discount grocery chain has massive US plans Amazon seems to be set in the direction of repeating the mistake of "Just Walk Out" deception. This time, it's betting it will make huge savings on logistics. Unconfirmed media reports suggest that Amazon is developing software for humanoid robots that could eventually be used in its delivery operations. According to the reports, Amazon is creating a "humanoid park" closed-course environment to test the humanoid robots before testing them on real streets. Based on this information, Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak gave us his opinion. Related: Nvidia, Dell announce major project to reshape AI The analyst previously estimated that Amazon is working on automating its fulfillment costs (approximately 18.6% of retail revenue) and that every 10% of US units that go through new robotics-enabled warehouses can drive between $2 billion and $3 billion of annual savings in 2030. "New headlines support our previous views that Amazon is also taking steps to automate its shipping and last-mile logistics (which also make up 17.5% of retail revenue). The potential timing of these humanoids may admittedly be further out, but when we combine this with autonomous long-haul and last mile trucking, and drones, we see a path over the next 5-10 years where Amazon is set to be able to deliver more items to more people faster and in a more cash flow generative manner," said Nowak and his team. "This should enable AMZN to invest in price and technology to drive further share gains, while also delivering more free cash flow for shareholders." Morgan Stanley analysts maintained Amazon's overweight rating, with a price target of $250. I expect that if the "robots" launch, humans will remotely control them. Whether or not this leads to actual savings is another thing. Related: Popular cloud storage service might be oversharing your data The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.

Major League Baseball Is Growing Again. Why Isn't Its TV Money?
Major League Baseball Is Growing Again. Why Isn't Its TV Money?

Bloomberg

time9 hours ago

  • Bloomberg

Major League Baseball Is Growing Again. Why Isn't Its TV Money?

TV ratings and in-game attendance are up, but the league is about to take a pay cut on its media rights. By and Hannah Miller Save Good afternoon from Los Angeles, and a special hello to those of you who watched one of the greatest tennis matches ever. Warner Bros. Discovery has gotten some grief for mishandling the NBA negotiations, among other things, but its inaugural presentation of Roland Garros was a marked improvement on recent years. Live sports has been swallowing the entertainment business for years, and it feels even more significant now. Football, once less popular than Survivor and ER, now accounts for the majority of the 100 most-watched broadcasts on TV in the US. Amazon and Comcast are cutting back on entertainment programming after splurging on basketball rights. Rupert Murdoch, often ahead of the curve, sold his Hollywood studio — and kept his news and sports businesses.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store