Future Amazon orders may be delivered to your door by humanoid robots. The Information reports that Amazon is developing artificial intelligence software that will allow robots to work as couriers delivering packages in Rivian electric vans, and will soon be ready to begin real-world testing at a new facility.
Citing an anonymous source “involved in the project,” The Information reports that Amazon has nearly completed construction of an indoor “humanoid park” at one of the retail giant’s San Francisco offices, which is roughly the size of a coffee shop. The obstacle course reportedly contains a single Rivian van for training purposes, and Amazon aims to have humanoid robots “get into the back of Amazon’s electric Rivian vans and jump out to deliver packages.”
The report coincides with Amazon’s launch of a new agent-based artificial intelligence team to help develop the technology that will power robots “operating in Amazon’s distribution and logistics centers.” In a statement to Silicon Valley, Amazon said that “instead of rigid, specialized robots, we’re building systems that can hear, understand, and follow commands in natural language, transforming warehouse robots into flexible, multi-talented assistants.”
Amazon is already using a variety of autonomous robots in its warehouse operations, including testing Agility Robotics’ Digit, a humanoid robot that was originally proposed to perform tasks such as sitting in the back of vans and delivering packages, as well as other logistics tasks. Amazon’s training center is a concerted effort to make this original vision a reality. The Information reports that “a variety of” humanoid robots will be tested to deliver packages at the facility, including a $16,000 robot from Chinese company Unitree.
Currently, hundreds of thousands of people are engaged in Amazon delivery around the world. In 2020, Amazon acquired the robocall company Zoox, which indicates a desire to fully automate end-to-end package delivery, from the warehouse to your front door.
