Experts call the GDP revision as a "normal adjustment." (Photo : REUTERS)
Amazon is now testing robots that may help human workers in the warehouse in the near future.
The American electronic commerce company conducted a competition called Picking Challenge, designed to choose which robot is fit to perform human duties inside warehouses.
Team RBO from the Technical University of Berlin dominated the competition and took home the top US$20,000 prize. The team successfully picked and packed 10 out of 12 items during its 20-minute test.
During the competition, teams have used three-fingered robotic arms, LIDAR lasers, tape measures (works tongue-like grasper) and numerous types of suction mechanisms. The German team’s winning robot comprised of a WAM arm by Barrett Technologies installed on top of an XR4000 mobile base and combination of sensors that can interpret the kind of object in the shelf and get them on time. The strategy allowed the robot to move its arm and find the best solution to snag item, according to Engadget.
Robots in the Picking Challenge utilized a wide array of technologies to locate, recognize and pack the items. It allows recreating the typical scenario inside Amazon warehouse wherein the clients buy one or more products.
Apart from speeding up the packaging stage, warehouse robots could improve the methods used for the fragile and accurate movements needed for warehouses. A representative from the Amazon stated that the company does not aim to replace human workers, but it will be humans’ complementary in the working force, ZME News reported.
In the past, there have been robots intended for warehouse works but it did not possess the ability to speed up things and be precise on its movements.
