Why Is Amazon Hosting A Robot Contest?

by Jayson Derrick

March 27, 2015 11:06 AM | 1 min read | Make a Comment

Technology Review reported that Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN is hosting a robot contest in which participating robots will earn "points" by locating products on a shelf, retrieving them safely, and then packing them into shipping boxes. The owner of the robot that earns the most points will win a $25,000 prize. The publication noted that Amazon already makes use of automation systems in its warehouses to reduce the distance human workers need to travel to find a product. However, Amazon has yet to design a robot that can pick and pack products with the same efficiency and reliability as a human. After all, humans can easily identify objects, figure out how to manipulate them and grasp them with an appropriate amount of force – a task machines and robots have yet to fully grasp. Around 30 teams from academic departments around the world will take part in Amazon's challenge that will be held at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Seattle.

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Posted In: Tech Amazon Robotics robots Technology Review

Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!

Benzinga.com on devices