Amazon opens robotics showcase in Ontario
2.6-million square foot fulfillment center deploys robotic arms, trolleys, and semi-automated stow stations across four stories.
Amazon.com on Friday opened a 2.6-million square foot, Canadian fulfillment center powered by advanced robotic systems, just the fifth of its kind globally for the retail colossus.
According to Amazon Canada, the four-story warehouse in Barrhaven, Ontario, called YOW3 in the company’s naming patois, will allow employees to work alongside some of the company's most cutting-edge technology.
Robotic platforms in the building include “Robin,” a robotic arm that identifies and places items onto a sort-bot, “RWC4,” an arm that sort totes and builds pallets, and “Kermit,” a trolley that tows empty totes through the facility along variable routes.
Other unique technologies in the facility include semi-automated pack stations, more than 7 miles of conveyor belts, and semi-automated stow stations, the company said.
"By using robots, we can help employees with tasks that involve heavy lifting or repetitive movements," Amazon Canada’s director of operations, Harsh Khaitan, said in a release. "We pilot and implement technology with the goal of increasing safety, improving our employee experience, and delivering for our customers."