When Amazon first started selling books in 1995, the operation was run out of a garage. Fast forward to today, and the company’s fulfillment centers around the globe hum with the combined power of cutting-edge technology and artificial intelligence. Over the years, Amazon has developed and expanded the world’s largest fleet of industrial robots, easing tasks for employees while also improving operational safety and creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
A New Era of Fulfillment
Amazon’s latest innovations in robotics are at the heart of its state-of-the-art fulfillment centers. The newest facility to adopt these systems is located in Shreveport, Louisiana. This next-generation fulfillment center represents a significant leap forward, bringing together years of innovation under one roof, transforming the way Amazon works and setting a new standard for efficiency in the industry.
This facility spans five floors and covers over 3 million square feet—equivalent to 55 football fields—making it one of Amazon’s largest sites. It will employ 2,500 people once it’s fully operational.
Seamless Integration of Humans and Robots
For the first time, Amazon has introduced technology solutions in all key production areas at the Shreveport site. This means that employees will work alongside its growing robotic systems seamlessly.
At the heart of the facility is Sequoia, an advanced multilevel containerized inventory system that makes it faster and safer for employees to store and retrieve goods. Sequoia can hold more than 30 million items, being five times bigger than its first deployment of the system in Houston, Texas. This helps Amazon store products closer to customers for faster deliveries. The system coordinates thousands of mobile robots and a suite of robotic arms to bring items to employees at ergonomic workstations.
Once customer orders are picked, several new systems help them move through the site more efficiently so they can be packed for delivery. Packaging Automation optimizes the packaging process.
As inventory and packages move through the facility, an AI-powered trio of robotic arms—Robin, Cardinal, and Sparrow—sort, stack, and consolidate millions of items and customer orders with remarkable precision.
Amazon’s latest version of Sparrow can now handle over 200 million unique products of all different shapes, sizes, and weights. It uses advanced computer vision and AI systems to make it the most versatile and reliable robotic arm in the industry.
Proteus, Amazon’s first fully autonomous mobile robot, effortlessly navigates carts of packages to the outbound dock so they can be loaded into trucks, while safely moving around employees in open spaces.
These technologies and the thousands of other robotics systems in use at Shreveport bring to life the company’s vision for collaborative technology. This vision is centered on innovation supporting employees, enhancing operational safety and sustainability, and enabling Amazon to deliver faster, more efficiently, and more responsibly for its customers.
Benefits for Employees and Customers
Technology upgrades at next-generation sites unlock benefits for both employees and customers. Systems like Sequoia, Cardinal, and Proteus will play a role in supporting company-wide safety objectives. Amazon expects these sites to significantly contribute to the over 30% improvement in safety that the company has achieved in the past few years by improving ergonomics and reducing heavy lifting throughout these facilities.
As Amazon deploys this new generation of robotics across its network, the company expects its workforce to grow, and is excited about how the technology creates more opportunities for skilled jobs. Next-generation fulfillment centers and sites with advanced robotics will require 30% more employees in reliability, maintenance, and engineering roles. Amazon supports these skilled jobs through its Career Choice program, offering employees the opportunity to pursue certifications at no cost. Amazon’s mechatronics and robotics apprenticeship provides hourly wages up to 40% higher than entry-level roles.
Amazon’s commitment to faster delivery for customers continues, with these next-generation facilities playing a key role. Within these sites, the company has reduced fulfillment processing times by up to 25%, improved shipping accuracy, and increased the number of items available for Same-Day and Next-Day Delivery.
Jane Tschanen, director of U.S. employee experience for Amazon fulfillment centers, is dedicated to enhancing employee satisfaction and well-being. Amazon’s most advanced fulfillment center is a significant leap forward, but is only one chapter in a broader story of robotics and AI innovation. These new robotic systems were engineered for seamless integration across existing buildings as well.
During peak delivery seasons, Amazon is aiming to improve its cost to serve by 25% at its next-generation facility. These are savings that can be passed on to customers. As Amazon continues to accelerate the use of AI and robotics to reimagine logistics, the scale and impact of its innovation will only grow. The future of work begins now.
