Amazon Has Made a Robot With a Sense of Touch

image via WIRED

May 7, 2025, 8:00 AM

• •Amazon has developed Vulcan, a new warehouse robot that uses touch to rummage around shelves to find the right product to ship to customers.
• •The robot uses a custom spatula-like appendage and a sucker to grab items, and has sensors on its joints to detect the edge and contours of items.
• •Vulcan is already working in fulfillment centers and aims to automate more of the work currently done by humans, working alongside them.
• •Increased use of robots may raise concerns around automation eliminating human jobs, but Amazon has also created new roles involving assisting robots.

Amazon has introduced Vulcan, a new warehouse robot equipped with touch sensors to locate products on shelves, aiming to enhance automation in its fulfillment centers. This advancement, led by Aaron Parness, marks a step towards more tactile robots capable of handling complex tasks. The robot's design includes a custom appendage and sensors to detect items, working alongside human pickers to alleviate labor-intensive tasks. Despite concerns about job displacement, Amazon anticipates a collaborative approach, creating new roles while integrating robots into its operations.

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