Amazon is introducing its next-generation warehouse robot, 'Proteus,' to Europe. Equipped with AI-powered language capabilities, it allows workers to assign tasks to the robots.
At the 'Delivering the Future' logistics technology trade show held in London on June 4, 2026, Amazon announced new robotic technologies to modernize its European logistics network and expand its delivery services. The company plans to invest approximately $11.7 billion (approximately 1.81 trillion yen) in European fulfillment centers and create 25,000 jobs in the coming years.
Amazon announces new robots, faster delivery, and 25,000 jobs in Europe
I'm Amazon's first autonomous robot. Follow me around on my typical workday (watercooler break included).
https://www.aboutamazon.com/stories/amazon-robotics-autonomous-robot-proteus-warehouse-packages
Amazon robotics: Meet the robots inside fulfillment centers
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-robotics-robots-fulfillment-center
Introducing Vulcan: Amazon's first robot with a sense of touch
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-vulcan-robot-pick-stow-touch
Amazon unveils new Proteus robot in €10 billion European investment in its fulfillment centers
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-proteus-robot-europe-investment-employee-support
At its core is the next-generation autonomous mobile robot, 'Proteus.' Designed to handle physically demanding tasks such as moving heavy carts and transporting goods over long distances, Proteus can determine priorities, routes, and timings based on instructions from employees using text that closely resembles normal conversation, and can work not only in the docking area but also throughout the entire area where goods need to be moved.
The following is a video showing Proteus in action.
Meet Amazon's First Fully Autonomous Mobile Robot | Amazon News - YouTube
At the time of writing, Proteus is being tested at Amazon's research facilities, and is scheduled to be introduced in Europe in the first half of 2027.
At the same time, Amazon is also rolling out 'Vulcan,' its first robot equipped with haptic senses. Vulcan uses sensors to detect contact and force, and is a robot that picks and stores products in fulfillment centers. By handling products located at high and low positions in inventory pods, it reduces the amount of work employees have to do using ladders or bending down. It can handle about 75% of the target product types at a speed close to that of human employees, and it also has a system in place to hand over products it cannot handle to humans.
In addition, the collaborative folding container processing robot 'STARK' is also targeted for expansion in Europe. After being piloted in Barcelona, Spain, there are plans to expand to 15 locations across Europe by 2027.
Amazon's use of robots has expanded since its acquisition of Kiva Systems in 2012, and it currently operates with over one million robots across its entire network. Systems such as Sequoia, Hercules, Titan, Sparrow, Robin, Cardinal, and Proteus handle sorting, transporting, and pre- and post-packaging tasks, aiming to reduce repetitive work and improve processing speed.
In terms of delivery, Amazon is expanding its 'Amazon Now' service internationally, which delivers groceries and daily necessities within 30 minutes. It is already available in parts of London, and expansion to Manchester and Birmingham is planned.
In Europe, Amazon is expanding its same-day delivery network, planning to establish more than 25 logistics centers capable of same-day delivery by 2026. In terms of human resource investment, Amazon will invest $1 billion (approximately 155 billion yen) by 2030 in its 'Career Choice' education support program. To date, more than 300,000 people worldwide and 30,000 in the UK have participated, supporting their transition to growth sectors such as cybersecurity, software development, logistics, renewable energy, and mechatronics.
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