But the company is working on grasping solutions that would be able to handle any and every type of item that could fit inside an Amazon box, perhaps by combining a pincher attachment with a popular suction method, and having the system trained to know which “hand” should be used for which item. On a larger scale, the two-pound weight restriction would still allow the robot to grasp a selection of items making up about half of Amazon’s total product assortment. In testing, the robot was asked to handle hundreds of different items in this weight group and successfully grasped and moved around 95 percent of them, according to Amazon spokesman Xavier Van Chau. This robot prototype can only move items weighing less than two pounds. The video and the robotic system in it were created late last year in a controlled lab test by Amazon technologists. Preliminary tests also found that the robot damages certain products at a much lower rate than other manipulation robots Amazon has tested. The robot utilizes multiple cameras to help it “see” the assortment of items in front of it, as well as machine learning to help it decide the best way to pick up a given item, and motion-planning algorithms to help the robot navigate the crowded scene without bumping or damaging any of the goods. From a box of crayons to a container of what looks like garlic powder to a whisk broom, each item is grasped and moved with no human direction. At the rate it’s going in the video, Amazon says the robot could handle more than 1,000 items an hour, meaning it could pick and stow items at rates several times faster than a human worker could. But it can pick up a new item and deposit it on a metal chute every three seconds. The proof-of-concept machine uses an off-the-shelf metal pincher rather than some novel grasping device. The robotic arm in question does not look as futuristic as you might imagine. Are you a current or former Amazon employee with thoughts or tips on this topic? Please email Jason Del Rey at or His phone number and Signal number are available upon request by email.
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