Proteus also appears in the 10 billion euro investment plan, which operators will soon be able to talk to as if it were a colleague

On the occasion of the event “Delivering the Future”, staged in London In early June, Amazon introduced a new version of Proteus, the autonomous robot used in its logistics centers. Designed to carry heavy forklifts and cover long distances within warehouses, the system continues to perform the most physically demanding tasks, allowing operators to focus on tasks such as inventory management and quality control.

The novelty, however, isn't so much what Proteus does, but rather how it collaborates with people. Amazon has announced that employees will be able to interact with the robot. using natural language, without resorting to technical commands or programming interfaces. In practice, operators will be able to explain to Proteus which activity to perform just as they would with a colleague, then leaving the system to take care of the execution autonomously.

It's clear that, according to the company, this evolution only expands the robot's capabilities and its potential uses within logistics centers. The goal is clear: to make the collaboration between people and autonomous systems, continuing to entrust the most repetitive and physically demanding tasks to machines and allowing employees to focus on higher value-added tasks.

This transformation is designed to bring about a radical shift in the way we support our employees and serve our customers. Customer expectations aren't slowing down, and neither are we.

Let us know Armin Cossmann, vice president of operations for Europe.

From conversations with operators to freight transport: how the robot works in practice

The most evident novelty of the new version of Proteus concerns precisely how operators can interact with the robotUsing the same advances in artificial intelligence, the system was designed to understand normal everyday language, allowing employees to assign tasks to it through simple conversational instructions, just as they would with a colleague.

“You tell him what needs to be done. He determines the priorities, the route, and the timing. He becomes your materials handling assistant.”

has explained Scott Dresser, vice president of Amazon Robotics.

Furthermore, while the first generation of Proteus was limited to the loading and unloading areas of logistics centers, where it transported carts weighing close to 400 kilograms while safely avoiding people and obstacles, the new version will be able to operate in any area where goods need to be moved. The system can transport containers upon arrival at logistics sites, transfer them between different workstations, and support operators within distribution centers and delivery sites, taking on the heaviest and most repetitive tasks, reducing the need for employees to push carts, lift loads, and travel long distances during their shift. with possible benefits also on the safety front.

The technology is currently being tested in Amazon's laboratories, while its introduction in European sites is expected in the course of the first half of the 2027.

What does Proteus see, where does he go, and how does he work during a typical warehouse shift?

Let's imagine that we are inside any Amazon fulfillment centerA cart full of packages has just been prepared and needs to reach the next stage of the shipping process. Instead of being pushed by a human, Proteus reaches it. The robot positions itself under the cart, lifts it, and moves away, carrying up to approximately 400 kilograms of goods.

For the rest of the day, the scene repeats itself hundreds and hundreds of times. Proteus autonomously traverses the warehouse, moving containers and carts from one point to another within the facility. Along the way, it encounters operators, other robots, equipment, and temporary obstacles, but thanks to its sensors, is able to recognize them, slow down, change direction or stop when necessary, without the need for paths delimited by barriers or lines on the floor.

After about two hours of operation, the robot temporarily stops working and reaches one of the charging stations in the building on its own. In about fifteen minutes, recovers the necessary energy – a sort of robotic coffee break – to resume the shift and return to the movement of goods.

With the next generation, as already mentioned, the scenario will become even more interesting. An operator will no longer have to limit himself to observing the robot at work, but will be able to directly assign it a task by speaking to it. as if he were addressing any colleagueSimply indicate what needs to be done, and Proteus will autonomously decide the best route, priorities, and timing. No longer just a means of moving carts, therefore, but a sort of robotic assistant capable of collaborating with people in daily warehouse tasks.

Inside Amazon's €10 billion plan to transform logistics

The evolution of Proteus fits into a much broader strategy, which includes new technologies for robotics. The giant, for example, is also investing in collaborative systems and the so-called robotic manipulation, or the ability to grasp and move single objects with high precision.

Among the novelties in this regard stands out STARK, a new collaborative robotic system born from an idea proposed by an employee to increase workplace safety. The system essentially works alongside operators, picking up full containers from conveyor belts and placing them on trolleys, a task that would otherwise require repeated lifting of heavy loads. After an initial trial in Barcelona, ​​STARK is expected to be introduced in 15 European sites by 2027.

Another key project is Vulcan, Amazon's first robotic system with a true sense of touch. That is, the robot is able to see and sense objects simultaneously, a feature that allows it to operate in highly dense and crowded environments. Initially developed for a logistics center in Spokane, Washington stateVulcan was later introduced at Amazon's facility in Hamburg, Germany, where it is being used for increasingly complex picking tasks.

All these technologies are part of a strategy of over 10 billion euros of investments in the coming years, which aim to expand and modernize Amazon's logistics operations across the Europe.

Jeff Bezos is creating more robots, as well as 25.000 new jobs in Europe.

Amazon argues that the expansion of robotics – in addition to leading to the obvious introduction of new technologies – will also lead to the creation of new jobsAs part of the investments mentioned above, the company plans to increase the number of staff employed in its European logistics centers by 25.000 over the next few years.

According to the group, the introduction of robotic systems in operational activities has already contributed, over time, to the hiring of hundreds of thousands of people globally and to the birth of new professional figures related to system reliability, maintenance and engineering.

For Amazon, Europe will play a central role in this transformation. Amazon Robotics Vice President Scott Dresser himself emphasized that it is precisely in the European continent that the company is concentrating a significant portion of its investments, skills development, and implementation of new technologies, destined to define the next phase of innovation in logistics operations.

Face-to-face with Proteus, Amazon's first fully autonomous mobile robot

A funny conversation between Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant and a user in the kitchen

Here are three insights that might interest you:

What if Gen Z didn't reject work, but the cult of overwork?
The workplace isn't safe until returning home is safe.
A sensor to correct movements and reduce injuries