Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer and one of the world’s biggest users of robotics technology, has recently unveiled Project Vulcan – a new robot designed to work alongside human employees in its warehouses and fulfillment centers.
This innovative robot is equipped with “force feedback sensors” at the end of its arm and grabbing tool, giving it a sense of touch.
This allows Vulcan to understand and control the amount of force it applies when pushing or grabbing items, enabling it to handle a wide range of products, including fragile ones, without causing damage.
Key features and capabilities:
- Advanced dexterity: Vulcan can manipulate and clutch items with precision, handling approximately three-quarters of the millions of products Amazon offers.
- Force feedback sensors: These sensors allow the robot to “feel” its interactions with objects, preventing damage and ensuring accurate handling.
- Improved efficiency: Vulcan can move stock at a speed comparable to human workers, enhancing operational efficiency.
- Enhanced workplace safety: By taking over physically demanding tasks, Vulcan helps reduce strain and improve safety for human employees.
- AI-powered learning: Vulcan’s AI is trained on physical data incorporating touch and force feedback, allowing it to learn from its own experiences and improve its handling capabilities.
Aaron Parness, Amazon’s director of robotics AI, emphasized that Vulcan represents a “fundamental leap forward in robotics”, as it combines seeing and feeling the world.
The development of Vulcan was driven by the desire to free up time for human staff and improve both safety and efficiency in Amazon’s fulfillment centers.
While the sources don’t explicitly confirm that the robotic arm is from Universal Robots, they do highlight its advanced capabilities and its role in handling a diverse range of items.
The system incorporates an “end of arm tooling” that resembles a ruler stuck onto a hair straightener, plus force feedback sensors.
The “ruler” part helps to make room for items, while the “paddles” hold the item, adjusting grip strength based on the item’s size and shape.
Amazon plans to roll out Vulcan across its sites in Europe and the United States over the next couple of years.
The company also emphasizes that its investment in robotics has created new job categories and offers training schemes to help staff transition into robotics-related roles.