The presence of robots in Amazon's massive fulfillment network has grown rapidly since 2012, when the company acquired Kiva Systems and began using robotics in its facilities.
Three years ago, Amazon already had more than 200,000 robotic drive units deployed. Today, it's more than 520,000, and the company counts more than a dozen types of robotic systems in its facilities.
Amazon's continued push to invest in robotics comes as the company has suddenly found itself overstaffed at its facilities after years of rapid expansion to keep up with the e-commerce boom. It's also faced union drives and continued complaints over its warehouse safety record.
Amazon's recordable incident rates were higher than average compared to warehouse peers, CEO Andy Jassy disclosed in his 2021 Letter to Shareholders, citing U.S. public numbers.
"At our scale (we hired over 300,000 people in 2021 alone, many of whom were new to this sort of work and needed training), it takes rigorous analysis, thoughtful problem-solving, and a willingness to invent to get to where you want," Jassy wrote.
Amazon has touted the robots it deploys for their ability to ease the physical burden on employees. Other companies from a variety of sectors are also investing more in robotics to meet higher demand and to maximize employee productivity in a challenging labor environment.
Beyond Proteus, Amazon detailed other recent robotics innovations in its blog post:
While Amazon has deployed a variety of robots throughout its supply chain, Proteus stands out for its ability to navigate unrestricted areas employees are present in.
"Historically, it’s been difficult to safely incorporate robotics in the same physical space as people," reads Amazon's blog post. "We believe Proteus will change that while remaining smart, safe, and collaborative."
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The Ocean Shipping Reform Act allows for more enforcement of rising fees. But shippers say the law isn’t a “silver bullet.”
At an emergency hearing, shippers warned regulators rail service issues could increase shipping delays and bring new supply shocks.
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