Amazon's New Warehouses Set to Utilize 10 Times More Robots for Enhanced Efficiency

At its Delivering the Future event on Wednesday, Amazon unveiled plans for advanced robot-powered delivery warehouses, starting with its first “next-generation fulfillment center” in Shreveport, Louisiana. This impressive facility spans 3 million square feet across five floors, equivalent to about 55 football fields, according to the company.

The Shreveport site marks a significant milestone in Amazon’s decade-long journey in robotics, which began with its acquisition of Kiva in 2012. Traditionally, Amazon has integrated robots into existing workflows to avoid disrupting regular operations. However, this new model represents a more innovative ground-up approach to robotics and AI.

While specific figures on the number of robots deployed have not been disclosed, Amazon assures that this center will host ten times the average number of robots found in a conventional fulfillment center. Currently, the company has nearly a million robotic systems in operation at various facilities nationwide.

In addition to Kiva-style autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and robotic arms like Robin, Cardinal, and Sparrow, Amazon is introducing Sequoia, a cutting-edge multilevel containerized inventory system designed to enhance the speed and safety of storing and retrieving goods. The next-generation facility can accommodate over 30 million items—five times the capacity of the first Sequoia inventory system deployed in Houston last year.

The recent hire of Covariant founders Pieter Abbeel, Peter Chen, and Rocky Duan is expected to play a crucial role in integrating AI throughout the operations. The Shreveport fulfillment center will serve as a vital testing ground for these robots to collaborate effectively, a challenge that has been historically complex due to the need for seamless communication between diverse robotic systems.

Amazon emphasizes that human oversight will remain integral to these operations, with plans to employ 2,500 staff members at the Louisiana facility once it reaches full capacity.