Amazon has introduced Vulcan, its latest innovation in robotics, marking the company’s first robot equipped with a sense of touch. Vulcan is already operating in Amazon’s fulfilment centres in Washington, USA, and Hamburg, Germany.
Designed to enhance worker safety, operational performance, and order processing speed, Vulcan can manage around 75 per cent of the items stored within Amazon’s warehouses. Leveraging breakthroughs in robotics, physical AI, and engineering, the robot supports employees by picking and placing products, especially those located in challenging or hard-to-reach spaces.
Aaron Parness, Director of Applied Science at Amazon Robotics, highlighted the collaborative nature of the technology: “Vulcan works hand in hand with our employees. Together, they achieve outcomes that neither could accomplish alone. This robot doesn’t just see—it can feel, unlocking new capabilities that were previously beyond the reach of our robotic systems.”
Unlike earlier models, Vulcan is equipped with force feedback sensors and a specialised gripping arm that can detect touch and automatically adjust its hold. This innovation allows it to handle items more delicately and precisely, particularly when retrieving goods from confined storage bins. It also reduces the physical strain on employees by limiting the need for step ladders and awkward postures.
Front-line worker Kari Freitas Hardy, based at Amazon’s Spokane fulfilment centre, shared her experience: “It’s inspiring to watch so many colleagues, including myself, transition into more technical roles as we work alongside Vulcan.”
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Vulcan is part of Amazon’s wider automation roadmap, which has already deployed over 750,000 robots across its global operations. “Our goal is to expand Vulcan’s reach across our facilities to further boost efficiency, improve safety, and support our employees by reducing physically demanding work,” added Parness.
This rollout follows Amazon’s earlier initiatives, including the formation of its Frontier AI and Robotics (FAR) team in February, based in San Francisco and Seattle. It also builds upon Amazon’s experimentation with humanoid robots like Digit, developed by Agility Robotics—an Amazon-backed firm—that replicates human movement to perform warehouse tasks.
The unveiling of Vulcan represents another milestone in Amazon’s journey to create a more automated and ergonomic workplace, blending human expertise with robotic precision to meet growing customer demands.
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