Search

Amazon's New Vulcan Robots for Fulfilment Centres Have a ‘Sense of Touch’

The Vulcan robots feature force feedback sensors that tell it how firmly it’s holding something.

Advertisement
Highlights
  • Amazon says Vulcan can manipulate warehouse inventory with finesse
  • To pick items, Vulcan uses an arm that carries a camera and a suction cup
  • The company is testing the robot in select fulfilment centres
Amazon's New Vulcan Robots for Fulfilment Centres Have a ‘Sense of Touch’

Amazon has deployed 750,000 robots in its fulfilment centres globally

Photo Credit: Amazon

Amazon introduced a new warehouse-focused robot last week that can carefully manipulate a wide range of objects. Dubbed Vulcan, the new class of robots feature force feedback sensors that allow it to understand the amount of force it is applying while picking an object or pushing a cart. These robots will be used in the tech giant's fulfilment centres globally and are designed to assist the human workers. Amazon said that these robots have created hundreds of new categories of human jobs at the warehouses.

Amazon's Vulcan Robots Come Close to Human Dexterity

In a newsroom post, the Seattle-based tech giant introduced Vulcan and highlighted its capabilities. The new robots solve a critical problem in automating Amazon's fulfilment centres – robots are numb and dumb. “In the past, when industrial robots have unexpected contact, they either emergency stop or smash through that contact. They often don't even know they have hit something because they cannot sense it,” said Aaron Parness, Director, Applied Science, Amazon.

The company highlighted that Vulcan, which is built using advances in robotics, engineering, and physical AI, comes with dedicated force feedback sensors. Its arm is also fitted with a camera and a suction cup. The entire assembly uses both sensor-based object detection as well as computer vision to understand the amount of force it can apply.

vulcan robot amazon Amazon Vulcan robots

Vulcan robot's ruler-shaped arm with camera and suction cup

 

Amazon's inventory storage in its fulfilment centres follows a specific arrangement to make shipping and stowing easy. Inventory is stored in fabric-covered pods that are divided into compartments. Each compartment holds up to 10 different items. Most robots struggle to pick objects from this mix of objects, but Vulcan is said to be able to navigate through the crowded space to carefully pick the required item.

Vulcan can pick and stow around 75 percent of all the items the company stores at its fulfilment centres, with speeds comparable to its front-line employees, Amazon said. Currently, the Vulcan robots are being tested at their fulfilment centres in Spokane, Washington and Hamburg, Germany.

Amazon highlighted that currently, it has deployed more than 7,50,000 robots into its fulfilment centres. The company was also quick to note that this large number of robots has also created new categories of jobs, such as robotics floor monitors and on-site reliability maintenance engineers. The tech giant is also offering training programmes to its human workers to move into robotics and find a place in an industry that is quickly taking the automation route.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

 
Show Full Article
Please wait...
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Nothing Phone 3a Pro 5G Long Term Review: A Blend of Style, Speed, and Power
  2. Oppo K13x 5G With 6,000mAh Battery Launched in India: See Price
  3. AI+ Pulse, AI+ Nova 5G India Launch Timeline, Design and Colours Revealed
  4. Vivo X200 FE Compact Smartphone Launched With 6,500mAh Battery
  5. Apple Could Consider Buying Perplexity to Strengthen Its AI Development
  6. Kubera OTT Release Reportedly Revealed: Where to Watch Dhanush Starrer Movie Online?
  7. Honor Magic V5 Thickness, RAM and Storage Details Teased Ahead of Launch
  8. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review - Ode to a Dying Planet
  9. Nothing Phone 3 Full Specifications Surface Ahead of Its July 1 Debut
  10. These Samsung Galaxy Models Could Get One UI 8 Beta Update This Month
  1. Vivo X200 FE With 6,500mAh Battery, MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ SoC Launched: Specifications
  2. Tecno Spark Go 2 India Launch Date Set for June 24; Key Features, Colourways Teased
  3. Amazon Diagnostics Launched in India, Offers Doorstep Sample Collection in Six Cities
  4. Honor Magic V5 Teased to Measure 8.8mm Thick; Colours, RAM and Storage Details Revealed
  5. Apple Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Perplexity AI to Strengthen Its Artificial Intelligence Efforts
  6. AI+ Pulse, AI+ Nova 5G Confirmed to Launch in India in July; Design, Colour Options Revealed
  7. iPhone, iPad Pages Updated With Energy Labels to Comply With New EU Regulations
  8. China’s Restrictions on Rare Earth Mineral Exports to Reportedly Adversely Impact Supply Chain Jobs in India
  9. Boat Airdopes Prime 701 ANC With Up to 50 Hours Total Playback Time Launched in India: Price, Features
  10. Huawei Mate XT 2 Launch Timeline Leaked; Said to Offer Satellite Connectivity
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
App Store App Store
Available in Hindi
App Store
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »