Amazon’s 1 millionth robot powers world’s biggest mobile bot army

Amazon has reached a significant milestone by deploying its one millionth robot in a fulfillment center in Japan, solidifying its status as the world’s largest operator of mobile robotic systems with over 300 facilities utilizing such technology globally. Since beginning its robotics development in 2012 with a focus on shelf transport, Amazon now operates a diverse fleet of robots tailored to specific logistical tasks, including the Hercules platform for heavy inventory handling, the Pegasus system for sorting and routing, and Proteus, the first fully autonomous mobile robot designed to safely operate alongside human workers. The company emphasizes that robotics complements rather than replaces its workforce, supported by extensive employee upskilling programs. A key innovation accompanying this milestone is DeepFleet, a generative AI foundation model developed using Amazon’s internal logistics data and AWS tools like SageMaker. DeepFleet acts as an intelligent control layer that dynamically manages thousands of autonomous robots within high-density fulfillment centers, optimizing their movement to reduce congestion, improve throughput, and lower energy consumption. By integrating warehouse navigation