Amazon has introduced Vulcan, its first deployed robotic system incorporating a sense of touch, designed to manage picking and stowing tasks within its fulfillment centers. Revealed at the company’s “Delivering the Future” event in Dortmund, Germany, Vulcan is presented as a key component of a larger integrated system named “Sequoia.”
Amazon claims the Sequoia system, now operational in Dortmund, can identify and stow inventory up to 75% faster and reduce order processing time by up to 25%, according to Reuters.
Vulcan’s primary function involves managing inventory on the highest (around 8 feet) and lowest shelves of Amazon’s storage pods – tasks typically requiring human workers to use ladders or bend down frequently. By automating these ergonomically challenging actions, Amazon aims to improve both operational speed and workplace safety.
The robot employs specialized “end of arm tooling,” which Amazon describes as resembling “a ruler stuck onto a hair straightener,” equipped with force feedback sensors. These sensors allow Vulcan to perceive contact and carefully modulate the force it applies, preventing damage to products.
For stowing, paddle-like grippers with small conveyor belts adjust their hold based on an item’s dimensions before placing it. For picking, a separate arm uses a camera and suction cup; the camera identifies the target item and the optimal grip point, while also verifying that only the correct item is retrieved, avoiding what engineers call “co-extracting non-target items.”
A New Dimension of Robotic Interaction
Amazon reports that Vulcan can handle approximately 75% of the diverse items stored in its fulfillment centers, operating at speeds comparable to human employees. Aaron Parness, Amazon’s director of applied science, contrasted this with older industrial robots, stating, “The typical robot is ‘numb and dumb,’… In the past, when industrial robots have unexpected contact, they either emergency stop or smash through that contact. They often don’t even know they have hit something because they cannot sense it.”
Vulcan, however, “is not just seeing the world, it’s feeling it, enabling capabilities that were impossible for Amazon robots until now.” The system is also programmed to identify items it cannot manage and to request assistance from human colleagues.
This human-robot collaboration is a recurring theme in Amazon’s messaging. Tye Brady, Amazon’s chief technologist of robotics, previously stated that robots “amplify the human potential” and that “people will always be part of the equation.”
He elaborated that human common sense remains necessary for overseeing operations and identifying issues like damaged goods or potential system security issues, such as those highlighted by the M&S cyber-attack incident reported by The Guardian in April. Brady also mentioned that the new generation of robots can “ask for help,” facilitating a learning process. Vulcan’s AI, according to Amazon, was trained using “physical data that incorporates touch and force feedback” and it “learns from its own failures,” much like humans do.
Amazon’s Broader Automation Investments
The development of Vulcan aligns with Amazon’s ongoing strategy to integrate advanced AI and robotics into its logistics network, building on years of deploying systems like Sparrow, Cardinal, and Robin for moving individual items, and Proteus, Titan, and Hercules for hauling goods.
This strategy includes acquiring external expertise; in September 2024, Amazon enlisted the founders of Covariant AI, licensing their AI models for robotic systems, and brought key personnel into its Fulfillment Technologies & Robotics division. Amazon’s $1 billion Industrial Innovation Fund, headed by Franziska Bossart, further supports this by investing in startups focused on robotics and fulfillment, including those working on tactile robotic arms and AI for robot interaction.
Bossart stated in April 2025, “Artificial intelligence drives our Innovation strategy logistics and sustainability efforts which is why I believe it is critical to invest in companies that combine artificial intelligence and Robotics.”
Amazon’s investment in European logistics automation has been substantial, exceeding €1.7 billion since 2019 according to Bloomberg, with the new Dortmund center representing over €400 million. This builds on a €700 million investment for deploying over 1,000 new robotics and AI systems across Europe by the end of that year. The Sequoia system in Dortmund integrates Vulcan with other new robots like Sparrow II (for picking items from totes) and Cardinal (for package sorting). Beyond item handling, Amazon is also deploying automated packaging machines across Europe to create custom-fit boxes and reduce waste.
The Human-Robot Dynamic and Workplace Concerns
While Amazon frames Vulcan as a tool for improving worker ergonomics and safety, its introduction coincides with ongoing debates about automation and job security. Front-line employee Kari Freitas Hardy, working at a facility in Spokane, Washington where Vulcan is deployed, shared a positive view, noting, “Working alongside Vulcan, we can pick and stow with greater ease,” and observing that colleagues have gained “new job skills and taken on more technical roles… once they started working closer with the technology at our sites.” Amazon points to its Upskilling 2025 initiative, a commitment exceeding $1.2 billion, aimed at retraining 300,000 employees by 2025.
However, The Guardian reports that Vulcan’s capabilities fuel “fears of mass job losses.” Statistics cited by IndianWeb2.com indicate Amazon’s human workforce decreased by over 100,000 globally between 2021 and early 2025, while its robot fleet grew to over 750,000. Broader economic forecasts, like Goldman Sachs’ 2023 projection of 300 million jobs affected by automation by 2030, add to these concerns, alongside previous industrial action over pay at Amazon warehouses.
Responding to the Vulcan announcement, the GMB Union, according to the BBC, stated, “While any genuine improvements to worker safety are welcome, Amazon’s track record shows a relentless drive towards automation to reduce labor costs. We will be closely monitoring the impact on our members’ jobs and conditions.”
The Broader Robotics Arena
The push for more dexterous robots is industry-wide. Meta Platforms detailed its Digit 360 tactile sensor and Allegro Hand in November 2024, aiming for human-like touch.
Google DeepMind introduced its Gemini Robotics AI models in March 2025 for rapid robot learning, though reports in April suggested DeepMind was restricting some research publications to protect its competitive edge.
Nvidia’s “Mega” framework, announced January 2025, focuses on optimizing warehouse robotics using digital twins – virtual replicas for testing and simulation, with CEO Jensen Huang remarking, “Future warehouses will function like massive autonomous robots.”
The development of these complex systems is aided by advanced simulation tools like the Genesis platform announced in December 2024. The market for the underlying flexible tactile sensor technology is also growing, projected to reach $5 billion by 2033, according to Global Market Insights.
Amazon plans a multi-year deployment of Vulcan systems across its facilities in Europe and the United States, with Parness stating, “Our vision is to scale this technology across our network, enhancing operational efficiency, improving workplace safety, and supporting our employees by reducing physically demanding tasks.” The real-world performance, integration within the broader Sequoia system, and the ultimate effect on both efficiency metrics and the human workforce will be key areas to observe as this technology rolls out.
