The Journey of Your Order: A Peek Behind Amazon’s Next-Gen Robots
Gratitude, Autonomous Robots, Steve Jobs, and Connecting Dots in My Career
Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow mentees🎓 who celebrate this festive day. I hope you all managed to find some fantastic deals to purchase(or receive) gifts for your friends and family. It’s almost certain that most of you have already made purchases on Amazon. I bought a PlayStation 5 for myself. I’m a newbie so feel free to suggest games.
Today, I’m going to give you a sneak peek into the process behind the delivery of your packages, so you can see how they get from Amazon’s warehouse to your doorstep.
Meet Cardinal and Proteus
Last week, I had the privilege of visiting Amazon’s facility in Nashville, Tennessee, where two next-generation robots are working together.
Cardinal: Robotic Arm
Proteus: Fully Autonomous Robot
Currently, I’m working on a project to ensure that both robots function (politely) after an item is packed into a box.
Once the item is packed into the box, a Cardinal robot picks it up and places it in one of the designated carts.
Over time, the cart accumulates a multitude of packages. Proteus arrives, retrieves the cart, and places it in the outbound dock. Subsequently, the cart is loaded onto the truck.
I am very fortunate to work with these latest technologies, which help customers, like you, to get packages delivered faster to their homes, as well as increase safety for fulfillment center associates.
Life Lesson from a Site Visit
Until before, visiting Amazon's facility in Tennessee, I was under the impression that Amazon Robotics' team designed Cardinal and Proteus robots.
When I saw the logo on the Cardinal robot, I was surprised and felt a rush of adrenaline. The Cardinal robot was designed by ABB, where I had previously interned. After the site visit, I contacted my ABB manager to share the news, and he was equally delighted to hear about it.
I was filled with joy and wonder, thinking that if you persist in your current work, whether directly or indirectly, it will eventually come back to you. Steve Jobs famously said
You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.
In my perspective, I see ABB and Amazon collaborating to bring smiles to customers faster and enhance safety at fulfillment centers. After this experience, the most valuable lesson for me is to continue doing what I enjoy; it will ultimately create the bigger picture in the end.
Closing Thoughts
To wrap it up, I believe my past and former employer will not sue me for disclosing any information about Amazon and ABB as all the above information is publicly available.
Lastly, I want to express my hope that you all find something to be grateful for. At the very least, you should be grateful for your health. Many people take their health for granted, but when they lose it, they reflect on the days when they were healthy. So take a moment to appreciate how grateful you are for your health.
Disclaimer: The information provided above can be found in the linked articles.
Meet the 8 robots powering your Amazon package deliveries: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-robotics-robots-fulfillment-center
ABB Robots: https://new.abb.com/products/robotics/robots
I had no idea Amazon was working on their robot projects! It’s super cool to hear about Cardinal and Proteus. Thanks for sharing this! And I totally agree—taking a moment to appreciate our health and the little things is so important, especially around the holidays.