Amazon granted patent for robotic inventory system
Amazon has, once again, generated mainstream media interest with one of its robotics-related patents. NBC News published a story on Friday (27 January) about Amazon’s recently-granted patent for a “package-packer bot”.
The patent, which was granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office (US PTO) on 26 January, describes a system where robots can be used to grasp inventory items and help speed up the packaging process in fulfilment centres.
Amazon has, of course, already introduced a high degree of automation into its fulfilment centres and is developing wide range of systems through its robotics arm, Kiva.
Furthermore, there is a plethora of patents for packaging/sortation robotics on the USPTO database. What distinguishes Patent No. 20170021499 and makes it newsworthy, however, is that it bears the name “Amazon”.
