Ten Amazon warehouses in five US states are making use of 15,000 Kiva robots, hoping they can cut operating costs for the mega retailer by some 20 percent during the Christmas gift fest.
The 145-kilogram robots are produced by Kiva Systems, which
Amazon bought in 2012 for $775 million.
The company showcased the technology on Sunday at its year-old
warehouse in Tracy, California, a day ahead of the Cyber Monday
frenzy. This facility alone has more than 3,000 Kiva carriers
working along with 1,500 humans.
The robots navigate across a warehouse buzzing along rows on
sensors on the floor and hauling racks with goods. Each can lift
as much as 225 kilos and delivers its cargo to packing
workstations operated by a human.
The system requires smaller gaps between rack rows, since the
robots are smaller than people and need not as much space to
pass. Deploying the robotic carriers has allowed Amazon to hold
some 50 percent more items and shorten delivery times in serviced
areas, the company said.
It comes at a cost, however. Amazon estimated last year that it
would spend about $46 million on Kiva equipment at its warehouse
in Ruskin, Florida, Reuters reported. But the company says it is
glad about the decision.
"It's certainly proving out that it's justified itself,"
Amazon’s senior vice president of operations, Dave Clark, said of
the Kiva acquisition. "We're happy with the economics of
it."
Amazon insists its robot employees are not stealing jobs from
humans, because the company is continuing to grow.
"That growth is driving increased hiring. We continue to add
employees, and no employee has been negatively impacted by Kiva
coming on board," he said.
"What we've done is automate the walking element. Our focus on
automation is to do automation that helps employees do their job
in an easier way, in a more efficient manner."
The online retail giant also uses flying robots to deliver goods
to customers’ doorsteps.