Amazon Just Built A Robot That Can Feel
It’s called Vulcan, and it’s the first robot in Amazon’s history with a sense of touch.
Most industrial robots are, in Amazon’s own words, “numb and dumb.” When they hit something unexpected, they either emergency stop or smash through it. They don’t know contact happened.
Vulcan knows. It uses force feedback sensors to measure exactly how hard it’s pushing, how firmly it’s gripping, and stops before doing damage.
The practical result: Vulcan can reach into a cramped 1-square-foot storage bin holding up to 10 items, push things aside to make room, and stow or pick a specific product without disturbing anything else. It handles roughly 75% of all item types Amazon stores, at speeds comparable to human employees.
Deployment across Europe and the U.S. begins over the next couple of years.
