Amazon brings next-gen robot tech to Europe

The facility leverages the core technology of the Amazon Robotics storage floors, where robotic drives move on a grid. However, instead of moving tall storage pods, these robotic drive units sort and route individual packages. The Pegasus Drives receive individual packages onto their tabletop conveyor, travel across the elevated mezzanine, and release the package into the desired chute associated with the destination sort point. Pegasus Drive is Amazon's latest robot designed to create greater efficiency in its sortation process so customers can receive their orders even faster. 

The sort centre, located in a building of over 28,000 sq m will sort parcels received from Amazon’s fulfilment centres before they are transported to delivery stations where they are collected by drivers for delivery to customers. This will assist its Amazon Marketplace business.

“We are really excited to see our sites get more sophisticated as the Amazon Robotics technology evolves. Thanks to this evolution we are helping our associates learn and train for new and fascinating roles, such as an amnesty responder or flow control specialist, and support them in re-allocating their abilities,” said Dennis Oates, EU Director sort centres program and innovation.

The new Barberá del Vallés site is the seventh Amazon facility in Barcelona – will start operations in Q3.

Watch the Pegasus robots in action here.