Latest news with #SubramanianRamamoorthy
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon Tests Robot Workers to Replace Delivery Drivers
A new kind of delivery worker is in training—and it doesn't take lunch breaks or call in sick. Amazon is reportedly training humanoid robots behind closed doors, testing whether machines can eventually handle the last mile of your online orders. Amazon is making bold strides toward an automated delivery future by developing software that could power humanoid robots capable of leaping out of vans and handling package drop-offs. According to a report from The Information, the tech giant is building a dedicated testing facility dubbed a 'humanoid park' somewhere in the U.S., where these robots are being trained to navigate complex delivery tasks. While Amazon is focused on building the artificial intelligence brains behind these machines, it's partnering with external firms for the physical hardware. Inside a San Francisco Amazon office, the company has created an indoor obstacle course roughly the size of a coffee shop, where these robots are currently learning to maneuver everyday delivery challenges. The ultimate goal is for these humanoid bots to ride in Amazon's Rivian electric vans—over 20,000 of which are already deployed across the U.S.—and deliver packages independently. In the near term, they could work alongside human drivers, making simultaneous deliveries to increase efficiency. And with Amazon's self-driving vehicle subsidiary, Zoox, also in the mix, the company may one day deploy fully autonomous delivery systems from start to finish. Once initial indoor trials are complete, Amazon reportedly plans to take these robots on real-world 'field trips,' where they'll be tested in neighborhood settings to see how well they handle actual doorstep deliveries. Amazon's experimentation with humanoid robots isn't new. The tech giant has already introduced robots into its warehouse operations, including trials with Digit, a bipedal machine developed by U.S.-based Agility Robotics. According to Agility's CEO Peggy Johnson, 'the company's Digit robot allowed employees to hand off work to humanoids and become a 'robot manager,'' she told The Guardian last year. Beyond ground robotics, Amazon is also exploring the skies. In 2023, the company secured approval in the UK to test drones flying beyond the visual line of sight of human operators—a key step toward deploying drone technology for home delivery services. Experts in the field believe Amazon's growing focus on the so-called 'last mile' of delivery is a logical extension of its existing automation initiatives. Professor Subramanian Ramamoorthy, chair of robot learning and autonomy at the University of Edinburgh, noted that 'Amazon had a respected robotics team and its reported focus on 'last mile' delivery was not a surprise.' He emphasized that while the hardware for humanoid delivery robots is becoming increasingly viable, the real challenge lies in reliably deploying them in everyday environments. He explained: 'If Amazon restricts the scope, which means using relatively clear driveways and standard layouts of doors and surroundings, then the task would be quite a bit simpler. As the environments become more complex and variable, and others enter the picture – such as pets and small children – the problems become harder.' Robots are unlikely to completely replace human Amazon workers anytime soon, but they are increasingly being used to supplement and streamline tasks, especially in areas like delivery and warehousing. Rather than a full replacement, Amazon is likely aiming for a hybrid workforce—robots handling routine labor, with humans overseeing, managing, and handling the exceptions. That means some jobs could change or disappear, but new roles in robotics management, maintenance, and oversight are likely to emerge. So while robots will take on more tasks, human workers will still play a crucial—if evolving—role in Amazon's future. Sources: The Guardian, The Information Read the original article on GEEKSPIN. Affiliate links on GEEKSPIN may earn us and our partners a commission.
New York Post
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- New York Post
Amazon testing out humanoid delivery robots that will ‘spring out' of vans: report
Who ordered this? Amazon is developing a software for humanoid robots that are designed to 'spring out' of the thousands of delivery vans roaming the country, according to a report. The $2 trillion company is testing out the two-legged, two-armed electric-powered bots at a 'humanoid park' in San Francisco where they will be trained to work as Amazon delivery workers, the Information reported. Advertisement 3 Amazon is training humanoid robots to function as delivery workers which will 'spring out' out vans across the country. AFP via Getty Images Robots are put through the ringer at an indoor obstacle course about the size of a coffee shop where they are trained to replace Amazon delivery workers in the field. The metal marvels are designed to 'spring out' of the company's 20,000 recently purchased electric Rivian vans and deliver packages to customers' doorsteps. Advertisement 'If Amazon restricts the scope, which means using relatively clear driveways and standard layouts of doors and surroundings, then the task would be quite a bit simpler,' Professor Subramanian Ramamoorthy, chair of robot learning at the University of Edinburgh told The Guardian. 'As the environments become more complex and variable, and others enter the picture — such as pets and small children — the problems become harder,' the professor added. 3 The company recently secured 20,000 electric vehicles which will be outfitted for the bots. AFP via Getty Images Amazon is planning to have 100,000 of the robot-friendly EVs on the road by 2030, according to the company. Advertisement Though robots would serve as delivery workers, the company stated that real-life human beings can still work as drivers of the vans without causing inefficiencies, the report stated. Amazon currently employs roughly 275,000 drivers in the United States and employs 1.55 million people in total, Exploding Topics reported citing company data. The e-commerce behemoth previously tested out humanoid robots at Amazon warehouses where they are expected to eventually replace human workers. Advertisement 3 The company has previously trained robots to work in its fulfillment warehouses. REUTERS Company leaders said robots are expected to reduce order fulfillment times by up to 25%, the Wall Street Journal reported. Amazon did not respond to The Post's request for comment.
Irish Examiner
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Amazon ‘testing humanoid robots to deliver packages'
Amazon is reportedly developing software for humanoid robots that could perform the role of delivery workers and 'spring out' of its vans. The $2tn (€1.75tn) technology company is building a 'humanoid park' in the US to test the robots, said the tech news site the Information, citing a person who had been involved in the project. The Information reported that the robots could eventually take the jobs of delivery workers. It is developing the artificial intelligence software that would power the robots but will use hardware developed by other companies. The indoor obstacle course being used for the tests at an Amazon office in San Francisco is about the size of a coffee shop, the report said, with the company hoping that the robots will be able to travel in Amazon's Rivian vans and make deliveries from them. Even with a human driver behind the wheel, a robot could theoretically speed up drop-off times by visiting one address while the human employee delivers to another. Amazon also has an interest in self-driving vehicles through its Zoox unit. Amazon has more than 20,000 Rivians in the US and has placed one of the vans in the humanoid testing zone, according to the report. Once it has tested the robots in the humanoid park, it plans to take them on 'field trips' in the real world where they will attempt to deliver packages to homes. Robot trials Amazon has already conducted trials with humanoid robots, deploying devices developed by the US company Agility Robotics in its warehouses. The chief executive of Agility, Peggy Johnson, told the Guardian last year that the company's Digit robot allowed employees to hand off work to humanoids and become a 'robot manager'. Last year Amazon was given permission to test-fly drones beyond a human controller's line of sight in Britain paving the way for using the technology in home delivery. Prof Subramanian Ramamoorthy, the chair of robot learning and autonomy at the University of Edinburgh, said Amazon had a respected robotics team and its reported focus on 'last mile' delivery was not a surprise. The humanoid robot hardware capable of carrying out such a task is coming available, and the field is developing rapidly, he said. However, he added, the challenge is to achieve reliable performance outside highly constrained environments such as the reported 'humanoid park'. He said: 'If Amazon restricts the scope, which means using relatively clear driveways and standard layouts of doors and surroundings, then the task would be quite a bit simpler. As the environments become more complex and variable, and others enter the picture – such as pets and small children – the problems become harder.' Amazon has been contacted for comment. The Guardian Read More High Court grants TikTok stay on suspension of data transfers to China
