Amazon Has Used Over 200,000 Robotic Drives Around The World

Amazon said it has deployed 200,000 robotic drives around the globe, according to a report by TechCrunch.

The remarks were made at the company’s re:MARS conference in Las Vegas by Robotics VP Brad Porter. Earlier in the year, the company said it had 100,000 robot systems throughout its 25 fulfillment centers in the U.S.

Amazon also announced two new warehouse robots called Xanthus and Pegasus. The new additions are meant to help with automation in the fulfillment centers. Xanthus is actually a complete redesign of the company’s main robots, which have been used since Amazon acquired Kiva systems in 2012.

Amazon was quick to remark about how more robots wouldn’t affect job growth for humans.

“While these robots provide a critical function in our buildings, we are not automating away all the work,” Porter said. “In that same time frame, we have added over 300,000 full-time jobs around the world.”

Porter also said that Amazon’s robotic palletizers have stacked 2 billion totes. Amazon is pushing its robotics because it wants to make one-day Prime delivery a new standard.

Amazon also said at the conference that it’s going to have a drone delivery service within months, according to a report by Reuters.

The announcement was made by Jeff Wilke, CEO of Amazon’s Worldwide Consumer. The drone will be able to lift off and land like a helicopter, and it’s more stable than previous Amazon drone models. It can also see objects in motion around it better than the human eye.

Wilke didn’t specify where the drones will be deployed, but in the past Amazon has delivered by drone in the U.K.

The drone delivery initiative by Amazon is not new, and the company has been talking about it for a number of years, but this is the first time it has had a release date attached.

Part of the problem with implementation was making sure difficult-to-see wires wouldn’t affect the drones. Also, the company has faced regulatory hurdles prohibiting commercial flights, especially in the United States.

Wilke said the fully electric drones can fly up to 15 miles and that Amazon is going to continue to build facilities closer to urban areas. The drones can transport packages under five pounds, which is the majority of what the eCommerce retailer sells.