Amazon $AMZN unveiled a next-generation version of its autonomous Proteus warehouse robot on Thursday, as part of a more than €10 billion commitment to expand and modernize its European fulfillment network.
Unlike the original model, which could only function in loading dock zones, the redesigned Proteus is capable of moving throughout an entire facility wherever goods need to be transported. The key change is how employees interact with it: Using advances in AI, workers can now direct the robot using plain, conversational language rather than technical commands or programming interfaces.
Scott Dresser, vice president of Amazon Robotics, described the interaction in a statement: "You tell it what needs to be done. It figures out the priority, the route, the timing." "It becomes your assistant for material movement."
Like its predecessor, the new Proteus is designed to move heavy carts — the original handles loads of nearly 400 kilograms — and cover long distances, tasks Amazon says allow employees to focus on higher-skilled work such as managing inventory flow and quality control. The updated robot is currently being tested in Amazon's labs, with deployment in Europe planned for the first half of 2027.
