We might not be far away from the day when Amazon packages get delivered by a robot.
The e-commerce giant is currently working on software for humanoid robots ahead of planned testing at a dedicated “humanoid park” at one of its San Francisco facilities, The Information reports, citing a person familiar with the development.
The park will have an indoor obstacle course, and Amazon hopes the humanoid robots will be able to hop on the back of a Rivian electric van and step out to complete deliveries.
The company will be testing robots offered by several companies, including those from the Chinese firm Unitree (image above). As for the vehicles, Electrek reports that Amazon’s delivery fleet currently has 20,000 Rivian electric vans; that number is expected to hit 100,000 by 2030.
Amazon previously tested humanoid robots in a warehouse in Seattle in 2023. Called Digits, these robots could lift objects like humans and assist them with certain repetitive tasks, such as tote recycling. The new project, though in its infancy, is about humanoids delivering packages.
The report follows Amazon’s announcement of a new agentic AI team, which will, among other things, focus on developing the AI framework for its robotics operations.
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It’s not the first time Amazon has tried to replace human delivery staff with robots. Its Prime Air service uses drones to drop packages in eligible areas. It recently started delivering gadgets like iPhones, AirPods, and Galaxy phones in under 60 minutes.
Food delivery platforms like Grubhub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash also use robots for delivery.
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