Even with more than 1 million robots operating across its fulfilment network, Amazon continues to test and refine its automation strategy. The company has now halted its Blue Jay warehouse robotics project less than 6 months after introducing the system. The development was first reported by a publication and later confirmed by the company.
Blue Jay, a multi-armed robot built to sort and move packages, was unveiled in October for deployment in Amazon’s same-day delivery facilities. It was being tested at a site in South Carolina. At launch, Amazon said Blue Jay was developed in about 1 year, significantly faster than its earlier warehouse robots, crediting advances in AI for the accelerated timeline. However, spokesperson Terrence Clark clarified that Blue Jay was introduced as a prototype, a detail that was not clearly mentioned in the initial announcement.
The company now plans to repurpose Blue Jay’s core technology for other robotics “manipulation programs.” Employees who worked on the project are being reassigned to different initiatives. “We’re always experimenting with new ways to improve the customer experience and make work safer, more efficient and more engaging for our employees,” Clark said in an email. “In this case, we’re actually accelerating the use of the underlying technology developed for Blue Jay and nearly all of the technologies are being carried over and will continue to support employees across our network.”
Last year, Amazon also introduced Vulcan, a 2-armed warehouse robot designed for use in storage compartments. One arm rearranges items while the other uses a camera and suction cups to pick goods. Vulcan can reportedly “feel” objects and was trained on real-world interaction data. Amazon has invested in robotics since acquiring Kiva Systems in 2012, a move that shaped its warehouse automation strategy. The company crossed the milestone of 1 million robots in its facilities last July, underlining its continued focus on AI-driven logistics.
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