Inside Amazon’s Robot Revolution
Amazon is investing a billion dollars in new industrial technology, including Digit, a robot working in their Seattle Robotics Research and Development facility. Amazon says the robots will be used to support human employees, but labor experts and Amazon warehouse employees say they are concerned about the future of human work.
Amazon is testing Digit for tote consolidation, a process that involves organizing and repositioning storage containers after all the inventory has been removed. Digit can autonomously sense, grasp, and move bulk objects such as these totes, while navigating an environment originally designed for humans.
Digit’s head includes internal antennas and LED eyes that blink to indicate which way it’s turning. The robot has multiple arrays of cameras and sensors, and a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system to scan its environment.
It has two robotic arms. Its legs may look like those of a large bird, such as an ostrich or crane, but the company says they reflect decades of research into how humans and animals walk, allowing it to navigate a variety of terrains.
Amazon previously invested in Agility, an Oregon State University spinoff, through its Industrial Innovation Fund, a billion-dollar venture capital fund that backs different forms of supply chain technology. Amazon’s testing of Digit, announced last week, is a milestone for Agility, and for humanoid robots in commercial environments.
