Amazon unveils its most advanced fulfillment centre in the U.S., redefining robotics and logistics

Picture of Amazon’s MQY1 robotics fulfillment centre in Mt. Juliet, TN (outside Nashville). This is the e-commerce giant’s 11th generation fulfillment centre
| Photo Credit: John Xavier

Amazon on Wednesday (October 9, 2024) announced its most advanced fulfillment centre in Shreveport, Louisiana, marking a significant leap in the company’s use of robotics and AI to streamline operations. Spanning over three million square feet, the new facility integrates state-of-the-art robotics technology to revolutionize logistics, with plans to employ 2,500 people at full capacity.

The announcement was made during the company’s annual ‘Delivering The Future’ (DTF) event at its MQY1 robotic fulfillment facility in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee (outside Nashville).

At the heart of the Shreveport site is Sequoia, a multi-level containerized inventory system capable of housing more than 30 million items. Sequoia coordinates the efforts of thousands of mobile robots and advanced robotic arms to expedite the storage and picking of goods, enhancing both speed and safety. The centre also features AI-driven robots—Robin, Cardinal, and Sparrow—that streamline the sorting and packing process with remarkable precision.

Amazon’s introduction of these robotics, including the fully autonomous mobile robot Proteus, is expected to reduce fulfillment processing times by 25% and improve shipping accuracy. The company highlights the facility’s environmental benefits, including a packaging automation system that eliminates plastic waste by using recyclable paper materials.

According to Amazon, facilities equipped with robotics technology have seen injury rates drop by 8.5% compared to traditional centres.

“Years of innovation has allowed us to build, test, and scale this unique, highly integrated, suite of robotics systems that work to support employees fulfilling customer orders,” Scott Dresser, VP of Amazon Robotics said. With “advancements in AI, these technologies integrate seamlessly, and will help us drive an estimated 25% productivity improvement at next-generation fulfillment facilities.”

Amazon’s push towards AI and robotics comes at a time when the e-commerce giant has been pulled up by the U.S. Department of Labour for not keeping its workers safe in six fulfillment centres in the country.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials cited the e-commerce giant failed to provide safe workplaces and violated the OSH Act’s general duty clause. The OSHA investigation follows referrals from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

At all six locations, OSHA investigators found Amazon exposed warehouse workers to a high risk of low back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders.

During the DTF event, Amazon said it is working on making its warehouses safer for employees with a comprehensive strategy based on six pillars, including technology, ergonomic improvements, and employee engagement. The company said it will proactively identify and mitigate risks while ensuring employees’ voices are central to safety efforts through tools like Dragonfly.

Dragonfly is a tool employees can use in their devices that allows them to share safety suggestions or concerns directly from their workstations. Once a concern is submitted, it notifies site managers, who are responsible for taking appropriate action within 24 hours.

Amazon says this tool is designed to ensure that feedback is quickly addressed by actively involving employees in identifying potential risks. Dragonfly could play a critical role in maintaining and improving safety standards across Amazon’s operations.

The company expects an increase in skilled jobs at the Shreveport site, particularly in engineering and robotics maintenance, supporting its broader push for workplace safety and employee development.

Beyond deploying robots in specific facilities, Amazon is also making advances in how AI can be used during package deliveries. In early 2025, the retail giant will deploy 1,000 electric delivery vans with Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval(VAPR) so drivers can find the righ package in seconds.

With VAPR, delivery drivers will be able cut down their time spent on organizing packages by stops, reading labels, or manually checking key identifiers like a customer’s name or address. They simply have to look for VAPR’s green light; grab, and go.

“We had to think about factors that are unique to the delivery experience, such as lighting and space constraints inside vans,” John Colucci, Product Manager for Amazon Transportation said.

VAPR uses computer vision to identify items during inventory stow or pick operations. This in turn replaces the need for manual barcode scanning.