DARTFORD, May 4 (Reuters) – Amazon unveiled this Thursday an improved mobile robot equipped with artificial intelligence for its warehouses, capable of responding to verbal commands, as part of a 10 billion euro ($11.6 billion) investment in its distribution network in Europe.
The Seattle-based e-commerce giant unveiled the next-generation Proteus robot at the ‘Delivering the Future’ event at its Dartford fulfillment center, east London, as it works to speed up deliveries.
The current Proteus, deployed at 25 locations across the U.S., operates only in dock areas, moving carts weighing up to nearly 1,000 pounds.
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NEW MODEL CALCULATES TASKS AND ROUTES
The new version, which will arrive in Europe in the first half of 2027, can operate on all warehouse floors and marks a change in the way employees interact with robots.
‘You tell him what needs to be done. It figures out the priority, the route, the timing,” said Scott Dresser, vice president of Amazon Robotics.
Amazon also introduced Stark, a robotic container handling system first tested in Barcelona and expected to be rolled out in 15 locations across Europe by 2027, and Vulcan, its first robot with a sense of touch.
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EXPANSION OF THE GROCERY SECTOR
Amazon said it will launch more than 25 sub-day delivery locations across Europe this year, including in the UK and Germany. Amazon Now, its ultra-fast delivery service for essential products, will be expanding to Manchester and Birmingham, in the United Kingdom.
The company said same-day delivery of fresh produce is now available in more than 2,300 US cities and parts of Tokyo, with additional expansion planned in Japan, the United Kingdom and other countries in the coming months.
Amazon also reported that Alexa+, its next-generation AI assistant, will be launched in 10 more countries in 2027.
In February, Amazon predicted a more than 50% jump in capital expenditures to $200 billion this year, joining its peers in a spending spree to boost AI infrastructure.
(Reporting by James Davey)
