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Amazon Launches Warehouse Robot That Can Do Human Jobs


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The Sparrow robot.

Joe Quinlivan, Amazon’s vice-president of global robotics, wrote in a blog post, “Robotics technology enables us to work smarter — not harder — to operate efficiently and safely.”

Credit: Amazon

Amazon has rolled out a new warehouse robot in order to automate more jobs as the company seeks to reduce logistics costs.

The company said the Sparrow robotic arm is the first robot that can "detect, select, and handle individual products in our inventory," jobs once performed only by warehouse employees.

The robotic arm identifies and picks up small objects with the help of computer vision technology and suction cups.

Amazon, which has developed 700 new robotics-related job "categories," said Sparrow will "benefit" employees by allowing them to focus more on less-repetitive warehouse tasks.

Said Amazon's Joe Quinlivan, "Robotics technology enables us to work smarter — not harder — to operate efficiently and safely."

From Financial Times
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