Amazon just brought in a new warehouse robot with tactile sensing. Let me explain, tactile sensing means giving a robot or a device the ability to “feel” things. Similar to how our skin allows us to sense touch. Give them all the other four senses and AI will take over the world as well. Anyway, this new robot will take automation to the next level in warehousing. This new guy also has a name, just like us. What is it, you might ask? Let’s meet “Vulcan”. It’s the new smarter and more efficient warehouse robot Amazon has launched to ease the workload of the warehouse.
Vulcan the Warehouse Robot
Vulcan is not just an average warehouse robot. It’s got two arms, each equipped with specialized tools. It can rearrange items in storage and grab them with surgical precision. One of its arms has a camera for eyes and uses a suction cup to pick things up like fingers. The other arm has sensors that tell the robot when it touches something. This tactile feedback is what makes Vulcan stand out, it’s not just blindly moving things around, it’s learning and adapting in real-time.
Why Vulcan?
Vulcan’s ability to handle roughly 75% of Amazon’s inventory comes from its training on force and touch data. Unlike the previous robots, which operated on pre-programmed instructions. Vulcan is learning from real time data and constantly improving itself with reinforcement learning. Robots like Vulcan learn from their surroundings by constently engaging with it. This ability to learn and evolve is what sets it apart, making it a crucial part of Amazon’s ever-growing automation efforts. It’s designed to be intuitive and responsive, learning and improving as it works, just like we do. We also learn from reinforced learning and so does Vulcan even if it’s in early stage of development.
Handling the Chaos
Vulcan is no longer just a hypothetical idea. Amazon has already deployed it in fulfillment warehouses in Spokane, Washington, and Hamburg, Germany, where it’s now processing more than half a million orders. That’s pretty impressive for a robot still in its learning phase. But Amazon’s not just impressed they’re all in. They see Vulcan as a game-changer and a key player in their grand plan to revolutionize warehouse operations. After all, robots are made for heavy lifting the boxes without complain. It’s definitely a major part of the future of automation. Robots like Vulcan ease the workload while being diligent.
Not Here to Replace Humans
Don’t worry Vulcan can’t replace humans that easily. Warehouses will use robots for heavy lifting, not more than that. Robots still can’t think or eat, so you are safe. AI tools won’t replace humans in the near future. In fact, robots like Vulcan are programed for making the workplace safer by taking on repetitive and physically demanding tasks, like heavy lifting. This lets human staff focus on more complex and vital tasks that need human brains, not AI. So don’t worry your job is safe and AI won’t take over the world that easily.
