Amazon’s Blue Jay Project: A Short-Lived Robotics Venture
Amazon, the global e-commerce leader, is known for its extensive use of robots in its warehouses. The company boasts hundreds of thousands of automated aides, each designed to streamline and improve operations. However, not all of Amazon’s robotic ventures have been successful. The recent discontinuation of the Blue Jay warehouse robotics project serves as a stark reminder of this reality. This decision comes just a few months after the project’s unveiling. For more details on this development, click Here.
The Blue Jay Project: A Brief Overview
Blue Jay was a multi-armed robotic system designed to sort and move packages. It was launched in October for use in Amazon’s same-day delivery facilities. The company tested the robots at a facility in South Carolina. Interestingly, it took Amazon significantly less time to develop Blue Jay – only about a year – compared to the development time for its other warehouse robots. This was largely due to advancements in AI.
Blue Jay: A Prototype?
However, Amazon spokesperson Terrence Clark cleared up some confusion regarding the nature of the Blue Jay project. He informed TechCrunch that Blue Jay was launched as a prototype, a detail that was not clarified in the company’s original press release.
What’s Next for Blue Jay’s Technology?
Despite halting the Blue Jay project, Amazon is committed to utilizing the project’s core technology in other robotics manipulation programs. The employees who worked on Blue Jay will be assigned to these new projects. As Clark explained to TechCrunch, “We’re always experimenting with new ways to improve the customer experience and make work safer, more efficient, and more engaging for our employees. In this case, we’re actually accelerating the use of the underlying technology developed for Blue Jay.”
Amazon’s Other Robotic Endeavors
Amazon’s exploration of robotics doesn’t end with Blue Jay. The company also unveiled the Vulcan robot last year. Vulcan, a two-armed robot, is employed in the storage compartments of Amazon’s warehouses. One of its arms rearranges and moves items in a compartment, while the other, equipped with a camera and suction cups, is used to grab goods. Impressively, the Vulcan can “feel” the objects it touches.
Amazon’s Ongoing Commitment to Robotics
Amazon has been committed to developing its internal robotics program since acquiring Kiva Systems in 2012. Kiva’s warehouse automation technology formed the backbone of Amazon’s fulfillment operations, and the company’s reliance on robots has only grown since then. By July last year, Amazon had deployed over 1 million robots in its warehouses.
While Amazon’s Blue Jay project may have ended prematurely, the company’s commitment to harnessing robotics and AI for improved efficiency and customer satisfaction remains undeterred.
