Amazon is testing humanoid robots in its warehouses in the United States, the most recent indication that the tech titan is automating increasing processes.
Amazon stated that the decision was made to “free up employees to deliver better for our customers.”
It stated that it was conducting tests on a new robot named Digit, which possesses limbs and legs and can grasp, move, and manipulate objects similarly to humans.
According to a labor union, Amazon has “treated their employees like robots for years.”
“[Amazon’s] automation is a race against time to eliminate jobs.” According to Stuart Richards, an organizer for the U.K. trade union GMB, hundreds of positions have already been lost to it in fulfillment centers.
Amazon acknowledged that its robotics systems had contributed to creating “hundreds of thousands of new jobs” within the company’s operations at the time of the announcement.
“This includes 700 categories of new job types, in skilled roles, which didn’t exist within the company beforehand,” according to the organization.
The technology conglomerate claims it employs over 750,000 robots “collaboratively” with its human workforce, performing “extremely repetitive tasks” regularly.
Amazon Trials Humanoid Robots To ‘Free Up’ Staff
Tye Brady, chief technologist of Amazon Robotics, stated at a media briefing in Seattle that personnel were “irreplaceable” and refuted the notion that the organization might eventually have entirely automated warehouses.
“There’s not any part of me that thinks that would ever be a reality,” he reiterated.
“People are so central to the fulfilment process; the ability to think at a higher level, the ability to diagnose problems.”
When not propelled by wheels, Digit can walk on two legs. Arms capable of lifting and transporting containers, parcels, customer orders, and other objects are also included.
According to Amazon Robotics’ Scott Dresser, this informed the BBC enabled the system to “manage stairs and steps, as well as areas within our facility where we must ascend and descend.”
However, according to him, the trial was to determine whether the prototype robot could operate securely alongside human employees.
Amazon Trials Humanoid Robots To ‘Free Up’ Staff
“It’s an experiment that we’re running to learn a little bit more about how we can use mobile robots and manipulators in our environment here at Amazon,” according to him.
Mr. Dresser opined that the concerns regarding replacing human labour were not commensurate with the situation at Amazon.
“Based on our experience, these new technologies do in fact generate employment and facilitate our growth and expansion.” And numerous instances of this have been observed in the automata of the present day.
“They don’t always run unfortunately, and we need people to repair them,” he reiterated.
In recent years, Amazon has increased its use of robotics in response to mounting cost-cutting pressure.
It announced that it was testing a gigantic robotic arm capable of picking up objects last year. It utilizes wheeled robots to transport products throughout its warehouses and has begun utilising drones for delivery in two U.S. states.
SOURCE – (BBC)
