PREVIEW

Amazon has unveiled a robot capable not only of seeing but also of feeling the world around it.
Known as Vulcan, this new robot introduces a sense of touch into the company’s sprawling fulfilment centres, allowing it to handle items with a finesse that conventional machines previously lacked.

Unveiled at Amazon’s Delivering the Future event in Dortmund, Germany, Vulcan uses force sensors to give it tactile awareness.

“Vulcan represents a fundamental leap forward in robotics,” says Aaron Parness, director of applied science at Amazon. “It’s not just seeing the world—it’s feeling it. That enables capabilities that were simply impossible until now.”

Unlike many traditional industrial robots—described by Parness as “numb and dumb”—which tend to either stop or bulldoze through unexpected contact, Vulcan understands when it’s made contact with an object and can adjust its grip accordingly. The firm say Vulcan is a game-changer in warehouse environments, where millions of products are stored in tightly packed compartments.

Amazon’s warehouses use fabric-covered storage pods with compartments roughly the size of a shoebox. These can contain up to 10 items, creating a crowded space that’s been notoriously difficult for robots to navigate without damaging goods.

Vulcan, however, is equipped with what Amazon engineers call “end-of-arm tooling” – an assembly resembling a ruler paired with paddles that function like a hair straightener. Using force feedback sensors, Vulcan can gently nudge items aside or adjust its grip depending on an object’s size and shape.

The robot uses a built-in conveyor system to slide items into place and a camera-guided suction arm to pick items with precision, minimising errors such as grabbing multiple objects at once.

It can now handle roughly 75% of the diverse items stored in Amazon's warehouses, operating at speeds comparable to human workers.
Crucially, when Vulcan encounters an object it can’t confidently move, it doesn’t simply fail—instead, it calls in a human colleague to complete the task, creating what Amazon describes as a “human-robot collaboration.”

As well as improving efficiency, Amazon says Vulcan is already having a positive impact on employee safety and comfort. In fulfilment centres in Spokane, Washington, and Hamburg, Germany, the robot has been deployed to manage inventory stored at difficult heights—either close to the ground or as high as eight feet. Previously, such tasks would have required workers to climb ladders or crouch for extended periods, raising ergonomic concerns.

“Vulcan allows us to work smarter,” says Kari Freitas Hardy, a frontline worker at Amazon’s Spokane facility. “It’s great to see how many of my colleagues have gained new technical skills and taken on more advanced roles as a result of working alongside this technology.”
Amazon has already deployed more than 750,000 robots across its fulfilment network. While these machines now help complete around 75% of customer orders, they’ve also helped create hundreds of new job categories—from robotics technicians to AI systems engineers. Amazon says it offers training through programmes like Career Choice, enabling employees to transition into high-tech roles.

Parness adds: “Vulcan works alongside our employees—and the combination is better than either on their own.”