AI-Enhanced Robotics

Sidewalk delivery robots are revving their engines for their July 1 debut in Virginia and Idaho, but there is an even bigger launch planned.   The delivery bots will soon be commonplace across the country of Estonia. Based on a vote of 86 to 0 in the country's parliament last week, Estonia is the first country in Europe that allows these food-carrying robots to roam sidewalks, according to Engadget.  

Amazon’s newest distribution center will use robotics to streamline operations.   The online giant plans to open its second Colorado fulfillment center in Thornton. This will be the first Amazon Robotics facility in the Centennial State.   

Amazon continues to expand its footprint of distribution centers.   Amazon is set to break ground on its first fulfillment center in the state of Oregon. The 855,000-sq.-ft. facility, which will be located in Troutdale, will augment the company’s sortation center in Hillsboro, and Prime Now hub in Portland.  

Yes, it’s official. The robotics revolution is coming to retail, as it is in many industries. I know robots roaming store aisles probably still sounds like something from “Back to the Future,” however, within a decade, I’m confident they will be such a normal part of the store experience we will find it hard to imagine life without them.  

A home improvement chain is taking a page from science fiction to keep employees safe.   Lowe's and Virginia Tech have joined forces to develop an exosuit — a wearable robotic suit with lift-assist technology — for Lowe's store employees. The lightweight exosuit, which is designed to help employees lift and move product throughout the store more efficiently, and aids against muscle fatigue, is being piloted in Lowe's Christiansburg, Virginia, store.  

Automation could drive Amazon’s grocery business in more ways than one.    Not only will a focus on automation prime the online giant’s AmazonFresh operation to disrupt the grocery industry, but it could also help the endeavor reach a breakeven point, according to CNBC.  

While some industry observers fear that robots will replace retail workers, Boxed is embracing the technology.   The online retailer, which sells consumer packaged goods in bulk, announced on Thursday, April 27, that it will completely automate its fulfillment center in Union, New Jersey, with robotics — a move that will contribute to driving reliable profits, according to Business Insider.  

A new four-legged friend is roaming Boston neighborhoods, and it can bring shoppers more than their newspaper or slippers.   Spot, a four-legged, dog-like robot from Boston Dynamics, is programmed to deliver packages to consumers’ front doors, according to ReCode.  

Always in search of more efficient, cheaper delivery methods, Amazon is exploring a new avenue.   The online giant has created a think tank that is evaluating how driverless vehicles could improve package delivery speeds, according to NewsMax.   The group, which is comprised of 12 members, began brainstorming on the initiative more than a year ago. However, the group is not designing a fleet of driverless vehicles.   

Target Corp. is losing a senior digital executive.   Casey Carl, chief innovation and strategy officer, is leaving the retailer, effective May 5. His departure, first reported by The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, comes as the chain has been reducing some of its innovation initiatives, including a store of the future with robots, to focus on efforts that have a faster payback.