Amazon presents Proteus, its warehouse robot intended to work among humans

Since 2012, Amazon has been gradually integrating many robots into its warehouses to collaborate with its human workers.

Today, the American giant presents us with its new toy, a certain Proteus.

Amazon is stocking up on new robots

It is in a blog post that looks back on ten years of innovation that the giant Amazon wanted to present its new recruit: Proteus. This small autonomous robot was developed to move around the firm’s warehouses, while transporting trolleys filled with packages.

Amazon says Proteus uses a ” advanced security, perception and navigation technology which was developed to be able to do its job without getting in the way of human employees. Remember that the Amazon group bought the company Kiva in 2012, which specializes in robotics, to develop Amazon Robotics.

Amazon wanted to present its brand new Proteus on video, which allows you to discover the operation of this new robot with the false air of an autonomous vacuum cleaner. The latter has just placed himself under a trolley before raising it, then spinning towards his destination. Thanks to a light beam at the front, Proteus is able to stop its journey if it detects the slightest obstacle.

Amazon is in charge of recalling that the objective of its robotics division is to automate the handling of its parcel carts, in order to reduce the need for employees to move them manually in its warehouses. The robots are designed first and foremost to create a safer workplace for humans, the company promises.

Another Cardinal robot coming soon to Amazon

Note that Amazon has also demonstrated another robot, called Cardinal. The latter takes the form of an articulated arm which is responsible for lifting parcels, reading their labels and placing them in the appropriate area to ensure the continuation of their shipment. Amazon is currently testing a prototype capable of lifting boxes weighing up to 15 kg and plans to roll out Cardinal to its warehouses by next year.

Finally, the group is also working on a new artificial intelligence technology that can automatically scan parcels. Thus, with this new technology, human employees do not even need to take a break while sorting packages, since the system will be able to instantly recognize a package that passes in front of its camera. Amazon also reiterated that its goal is in no way to one day replace human employees with robots.

Source : Engadget