Online giant to open robotics-based facility in Michigan

Amazon is expanding its distribution fleet in the Wolverine state in a big way.



The online giant plans to open an 855,000-sq.-ft. fulfillment center in Romulus, Michigan — it’s second in the state. The facility will create more than 1,500 new full-time associate roles.



Associates will pick, pack, and ship smaller customer items, such as books, electronics and toys. However, these tasks will be streamlined by technology from Amazon Robotics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon.com.



Among the solutions designed by the division include autonomous mobile robots, sophisticated control software, language perception, power management, computer vision, depth sensing, machine learning, object recognition, and semantic understanding of commands. These solutions will create what is described as a “highly technological workplace,” according to Amazon.



The online retailer continues to bolster its distribution fleet with these sophisticated solutions. Amazon recently announced that its new facility in South Florida will feature Amazon Robotics. The warehouse, which is dubbed a “mega warehouse,” is set to open in 2018.



Amazon is also opening robotics-based distribution centers in Colorado and in Connecticut.