Amazon has unveiled a new warehouse robot that can “feel” the items it touches using force sensors.

“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, Amazon director, applied science.

Vulcan Robot Can “Feel” Objects

Vulcan robot can feel objects; Photo: Amazon
Vulcan robot can feel objects; Photo: Amazon

The robot is being introduced at Amazon’s Delivering the Future Event in Dortmund, Germany. The firm believes that the robot’s ability to understand when and how it makes contact with objects will improve operations and job facilities.

For example, in fulfillment centers, inventory is stored in pods that hold up to 10 items each. Placing items into these pods or taking them out has historically been challenging for robots, but Vulcan is capable of handling these items because it can “feel” when it touches an item and how much force it’s applying, which helps it mitigate damage.

According to Amazon, the robot accomplishes this with a combination of force feedback sensors and an “end of arm tooling” that resembles “a ruler stuck onto a hair straightener”. The company further explains, “The ruler bit pushes around the items already in those compartments to make room for whatever it wants to add. The arms of the hair straightener (the “paddles”) hold the item to be added, adjusting their grip strength based on the item’s size and shape, then use built-in conveyor belts to zhoop the item into the bin.”

When lifting items, Vulcan uses an arm with a built-in camera and suction cup. The camera peers into the compartment, picks out the item, analyzes the best spot to grab, and the suction cup grabs it.

Vulcan is also designed to work well alongside human employees, handling tasks that are time-consuming and tedious, so humans can be better utilized in other areas.

“Vulcan represents a fundamental leap forward in robotics,” Parness says. “It’s not just seeing the world, it’s feeling it, enabling capabilities that were impossible for Amazon robots until now.”