This week, Amazon announced a new warehouse robot named Vulcan, which…you guessed it!…is designed to make their global warehouse complex much more efficient. The robot’s real magic comes from the fact it can “feel” things it touches. Its high-resolution advanced force sensors perceive contact with the fascia, the dermis, the fat layer, the muscle. The launch of Vulcan represents Amazon’s continued efforts to push the envelope on automating their order fulfillment process and operational firepower.
Vulcan currently has two functional arms, with very different offerings. One robotic arm is purely dedicated to reorganizing products within a bin, guaranteeing the best organization of products. The second arm, fitted with a camera and a suction cup, is very good at picking things up from the shelves. Together, these technologies allow Vulcan to determine the most efficient path through Amazon’s warehouses, sorting goods that they contain with pinpoint accuracy.
Currently, Vulcan has been deployed in two locations: Spokane, Washington, and Hamburg, Germany. Since its introduction, it has already processed an impressive 500,000 orders. From chat to email to social media, this feat underscores its profound ability to juggle concurrent tasks at lightning speed without sacrificing quality. Vulcan is the newest development in Amazon’s pandemonium of robots, one that currently occupies the millions. This innovation is intended to help improve the efficiency of operations while addressing customer service.
The robot’s sensory capabilities are particularly noteworthy. Vulcan incorporates force sensors so it knows when and where it has made contact with an object. This makes it capable of mechanically changing its grip and handling characteristics to perform at peak. This one feature alone can save tremendous amounts of staff time and improve productivity. It reduces the likelihood of harm to objects during the process of removing and replacing them.
As Amazon keeps pushing the envelope within its extensive logistics network with emerging technologies like Vulcan, with the use of these sorts of robots, the company is able to maintain a competitive advantage in the firms largely e-commerce driven industry. They pick customer orders more quickly and more accurately.
Meanwhile, Amazon is doubling down on robotics in its warehouses. Simultaneously, it’s committed to advancing its operating model to better meet its growing demand. Vulcan has entered the world of change described above. Our customers will have even faster and more efficient order processing at their fingertips in the coming months!