Amazon Hatches a New Bird

Amazon’s new intelligent robot, Sparrow, is a significant stride in AI-driven warehouse automation. According to Amazon, a critical part of fulfillment happens before items are packaged for shipment. Until now, technology moved totes to employees who selected the inventory for packaging. Then, robotic arms—Robin and Cardinal—redirected packages to locations in the warehouse.

Amazon, however, needed to support individual product handling, hence the introduction of Sparrow. The newest robotic system advances item handling for Amazon, as it can detect, select, and handle millions of unique products in inventory.

Sparrow leverages computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI). The technology will take on repetitive tasks, enable employees to focus their time and energy elsewhere, and advance safety. At the same time, Sparrow will help drive efficiency by automating a critical part of the fulfillment process.