Amazon, the world's largest e-commerce company, appears to have scrapped its robotic arm project "Blue Jay," which it had touted as the core of its logistics innovation, just four months after unveiling it.
Business Insider, the U.S. economic outlet, reported on the 17th (local time), citing sources, that operations of Blue Jay, a ceiling-mounted multi-arm robotic system, were halted last month.
Project staff were reportedly reassigned to other robotics divisions. Expense burdens, complex manufacturing processes, and difficulties during on-site deployment are cited as reasons for the halt. However, the core technologies used in Blue Jay are expected to be integrated into other systems, such as the floor-mounted "Flex Cell."
Terence Clark, an Amazon Spokesperson, said, "The core technologies will be transferred to other projects," adding, "Blue Jay was just one among warehouse robots such as Vulcan, Sparrow, and Proteus."
Industry watchers see it as an adjustment aligned with Amazon's strategy of shifting its center of gravity from large fulfillment centers to smaller, community-based hubs. Amazon is also pursuing a shift to the same-day delivery system "Orbital," envisioned to leverage Whole Foods stores.
In Oct. last year, Amazon unveiled Blue Jay, describing it as equipment that maximizes logistics efficiency by combining artificial intelligence and robotics, and said it was conducting automatic box-sorting tests at a South Carolina fulfillment center. The company said its stance on investing in robotics remains unchanged.