• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy

2

CEO says anyone who works from home is grabbing groceries or at the vet 30% of the time—and shows off his busy office at Friday 5 p.m. to prove it

3

Current price of oil as of June 3, 2026

1

Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy

2

CEO says anyone who works from home is grabbing groceries or at the vet 30% of the time—and shows off his busy office at Friday 5 p.m. to prove it

3

Current price of oil as of June 3, 2026
TechAmazon

The Amazon robots are here, and they don’t even have to be kept in cages anymore

By
Christine Mui
Christine Mui
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Christine Mui
Christine Mui
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 22, 2022, 1:01 PM ET

Amazon unveiled its first fully autonomous mobile robot this week, and it could soon join human workers on the company’s warehouse floors. 

Unlike previous models, the latest robot, called Proteus, can operate alongside humans and will not be kept in caged-off areas, according to a company announcement Tuesday. The robot will navigate around groups of people while lifting and moving Amazon’s GoCarts, wheeled trolleys that carry packages through facilities. 

“Historically, it’s been difficult to safely incorporate robotics in the same physical space as people,” Amazon wrote. “We believe Proteus will change that while remaining smart, safe, and collaborative.”

Amazon said Proteus uses the company’s own advanced safety, perception, and navigation technology to avoid bumping into human workers. In a video the company released showcasing the robot, Proteus emits a green beam as it travels. Once a person steps into the range of that beam, the robot waits until they have moved before continuing on its path. 

Initially, Proteus will work in the GoCart handling areas of Amazon’s fulfillment and sort centers, though the company did not say when deployment of the robots would start.

Amazon did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.

“Our vision is to automate GoCart handling throughout the network, which will help reduce the need for people to manually move heavy objects through our facility and instead let them focus on more rewarding work,” the company said.  

Amazon also revealed several other new machines that it has developed over the past decade since it acquired robotics company Kiva Systems in 2012.

One of those machines is Cardinal, a robotic arm that lifts packages of up to 50 pounds out of a pile and reads the label to know what GoCart to place it in. Amazon is still testing a prototype of the technology but said it expects to place it in fulfillment centers next year. 

“The movement of heavy packages, as well as the reduction of twisting and turning motions by employees, are areas we continually look to automate to help reduce risk of injury,” the announcement said. “Cardinal reduces the risk of employee injuries by handling tasks that require lifting and turning of large or heavy packages or complicated packing in a confined space.”

Amazon says that its new machines are aimed at reducing the risk of injury for human workers, but a 2020 report from Reveal and the Center for Investigative Reporting casts doubt on the claim that automation will create a safer workplace. The report found that though injuries at Amazon are already twice as common as the industry standard, “the rate of serious injuries from 2016 to 2019 was more than 50% higher at warehouses with robots than ones without.” That’s because the presence of hyperefficient robots pushed employees to work faster, sometimes to the point of injury, per the report. 

Amazon’s big reveal of its new tech comes days after an internal memo leaked to Recode, predicting a human labor gap for the online retailer. Based on internal research from mid-2021, Amazon expects to run out of people to hire in its U.S. warehouses by 2024. A New York Times investigation showed last year that ​​Amazon’s turnover rate is roughly 150% a year, or close to double the average in the retail and logistics industries. 

In addition to raising wages to retain its current workforce and attract more applicants, the memo suggested the company increase automation in its warehouses to address its looming labor crisis. 

Amazon pushed back against concerns that it plans to replace its human workforce with robots in Tuesday’s announcement. 

“From the early days of the Kiva acquisition, our vision was never tied to a binary decision of people or technology. Instead, it was about people and technology working safely and harmoniously together to deliver for our customers. That vision remains today,” the company said. 

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
By Christine Mui
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Elon Musk, wearing all black, smiles and looks to the side.
InvestingSpaceX
A dying satellite company sold spectrum to Elon Musk—and turned $11.1 billion in SpaceX stock into the Fortune 500’s best shareholder return
By Sasha RogelbergJune 4, 2026
14 minutes ago
Europe wants more control over global AI services. America is warning them to take care—and history is on their side
EuropeLetter from London
Europe wants more control over global AI services. America is warning them to take care—and history is on their side
By Kamal AhmedJune 4, 2026
1 hour ago
Anthropic logo on a phone.
AIAnthropic
Amazon and Google have billions riding on Anthropic. The IPO will finally reveal how much.
By Beatrice NolanJune 4, 2026
2 hours ago
The label from a box of peptides next to 10 vials of an orange substance.
CryptoCryptocurrency
I bought peptides with crypto. How my purchase helped fuel a $100 million gray-market, ‘looksmaxxing’ economy
By Ben WeissJune 4, 2026
2 hours ago
rd
Investingnational debt
Ray Dalio warns the stock market is approaching 1929 and 2000 bubble levels—but another crisis is ‘past the point of no return’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 4, 2026
3 hours ago
Itai Ben-Zaken poses with his arms crossed while wearing a suit.
Startups & VentureTerm Sheet
Exclusive: Investors bet $40 million on Honeycomb’s no-inspection landlord insurance AI
By Lily Mae LazarusJune 4, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
Cybersecurity
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
By Sasha RogelbergJune 3, 2026
1 day ago
CEO says anyone who works from home is grabbing groceries or at the vet 30% of the time—and shows off his busy office at Friday 5 p.m. to prove it
Success
CEO says anyone who works from home is grabbing groceries or at the vet 30% of the time—and shows off his busy office at Friday 5 p.m. to prove it
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 4, 2026
9 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 3, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 3, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 3, 2026
1 day ago
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
Environment
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 1, 2026
3 days ago
Southwest exec says the free bag and assigned seating overhaul is already paying off
Travel & Leisure
Southwest exec says the free bag and assigned seating overhaul is already paying off
By Preston ForeJune 2, 2026
2 days ago
A single new sentence in SpaceX's amended IPO filing could signal the biggest merger in history
Startups & Venture
A single new sentence in SpaceX's amended IPO filing could signal the biggest merger in history
By Shawn TullyJune 4, 2026
9 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.