Amazon unveiled the latest version of the Proteus, its autonomous warehouse robot, during the ‘Delivering the Future’ event. This took place at the firm’s Dartford fulfillment center near London. Amazon is putting down €10 billion for an update to its European fulfillment network.
The tech giant noted that while older models were limited to specific dock spots, the latest model is more agile and can handle various logistics jobs. The robot can follow normal speech commands, not just programmed instructions.
Scott Dresser, vice president of Amazon Robotics, said, “The new version, due in Europe in the first half of 2027, can operate across warehouse floors and marks a shift in how employees interact with robots. You tell it what needs to be done. It figures out the priority, the route, the timing.”
Workers can give instructions, and it figures out the priorities, routes, and timing by itself. This makes using robots easier and helps integrate them into daily warehouse tasks more smoothly.
Amazon plans to roll out the next-gen Proteus in Europe in the first half of 2027. The company will finish up pilot tests in its research facilities before the full release.
Along with Proteus, Amazon showed off STARK, a robotic tote-handling system that had its start in Barcelona. It aims to introduce STARK to 15 European sites by 2027. Plus, Amazon talked about Vulcan, the US firm’s first robot with a sense of touch, allowing it to work with objects much more precisely in warehouses.
This move fits into Amazon’s bigger plan for boosting its European operations. The company stated that it'll launch over 25 new next-day delivery spots across Europe this year, covering places in the UK and Germany. Amazon also wants to grow its quick grocery delivery services.
These investments will improve operations run smoothly, hasten deliveries and generate thousands of new jobs across Europe in the years ahead.
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