Techmeme Ride Home (Bonus) Among the Amazon Robots With Matt Simon
Jun 15, 2019
In this insightful conversation, Matt Simon, author of a thought-provoking Wired article on Amazon’s warehouse robots, dives into the fascinating world of human-robot symbiosis. He shares personal reflections on working alongside robots and how they enhance productivity. The dynamic in Amazon's operations is dissected, revealing the challenges of synchronizing robots while highlighting their limitations. Simon discusses the evolving role of humans as supervisors and the essential collaboration necessary for the future of work in this robotic landscape.
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Brian's FedEx Experience
- Brian McCullough's only real job was at FedEx, similar to the Amazon sorting facility.
- He slung boxes onto containers designated for specific airports, learning obscure airport codes.
Traditional Sorting
- Traditionally, humans sorted packages by reading labels and throwing them into chutes.
- This process is labor-intensive, requiring physical lifting and manipulation of heavy packages.
New Robotic Sorting
- Amazon's new robotic system uses chutes and robots that scan packages and deliver them to designated chutes in the floor.
- Humans place packages on robots, scan them, and the robots transport them, eliminating human walking.