Amazon and automation simply belong together, especially in such a retail and logistics empire. Despite all this, there are currently still many activities that can only be performed by humans. However, Amazon plans to change this.
Amazon’s new robot “Sparrow” is designed to automatically sort out the appropriate items from shelves or bins and make them ready for shipping. Until now, this has been one of the most difficult tasks for robots to accomplish in logistics, but Sparrow is showing tremendous progress. Using machine learning and built-in sensors and cameras, the robot recognizes the objects in a bin and can use grippers and specially designed suction tubes to find the right items. The video shows Sparrow’s sorting efficiency very well.
After initial tests at Amazon’s logistics center in Texas, Sparrow can now recognize and handle 65% of the items sorted so far. This includes stuffed animals, DVDs, and even some loose and hard-to-grab items.
Whether Sparrow is now intended as a replacement or as a support for employees in Amazon’s warehouses remains to be seen in the near future….
Post image and video: Amazon
