Amazon.com Uses Sequoia Robotic System for Improved Inventory Management and Delivery

Sequoia combines a series of systems including a mobile robot and a robot arm. (photo: amazon documentation)

JAKARTA - Amazon.com announced on Wednesday 18 October that it is using a robotic system in one of its warehouses in Houston. This is done to improve inventory management and speed up delivery. It also continues their years-long belief that automation will help improve sales and worker safety.

The technology known as "Sequoia" combines a series of systems including mobile robots and robotic arms.

Amazon says that Sequoia can help identify and store inventory 75% faster, while reducing order processing times in warehouses by up to 25%.

The e-commerce giant has invested aggressively in automation for years, as well as using it to package orders and creating technology that enables cashier-less retail stores.

Several other large retailers have also recently announced plans to invest in robotic systems, with rival Walmart  saying earlier this year that it expects about 65% of its stores to be serviced by automation systems by the end of its 2026 fiscal year.

Amazon, which has been in the spotlight of US safety regulators for conditions deemed dangerous in its warehouses, is also relying on robots to improve worker safety.

The company said it would begin testing a walking robot called "Digit" from Agility Robotics, a startup backed by Amazon. The digits, which are already being tested at Ford, can move, grasp and manage items in the warehouse.