Amazon introduced its new smart robotic system “Sparrow”, which aims to simplify the packaging process by categorizing products. Unlike robotic arms like the “Cardinal” and “Robin” that the retail giant has used before, Amazon claims the Sparrow arm can identify about 65 percent of its product inventory without human assistance, thereby reducing the burden on human workers.
The company says Amazon employees around the world select, stack or unpack more than 13 million packages a day. Aiming to facilitate the process by using computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) to recognize and process millions of products with Sparrow, Amazon also wants to save human energy.
Why does Amazon rely on robotics?
An Amazon spokesperson said: “Robotic technology enables us to work smarter, not harder, to work efficiently and safely. Sparrow will work with our employees to take on repetitive tasks, enabling them to focus their time and energy on other things while also increasing safety, ” says.
Sources state that the retail giant is in dire need of robotic intervention, while a leaked internal study claims it could run out of staff willing to work in its warehouses by 2024 if Amazon doesn’t change its employment practices. “If we continue to do business as usual, Amazon will deplete the current workforce supply in the US network by 2024,” the research says. In other words, Amazon’s trust in robot technology has become a necessity.
Amazon has been investing in robotics for a long time. In 2012, the company made a major investment to improve efficiency in its supply chain by acquiring Kiva, a robotics company whose technology is still heavily used 10 years later.
If Amazon’s claims are to be believed, robots are not only taking human jobs, but also opening new jobs for humans. Thanks to the company’s use of automated technology, he estimates that more than 700 new business categories have been opened in its operations to date.
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