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.
The next-generation Proteus responds to plain-language prompts and can operate across warehouse floors, not just dock areas
Credit: About Amazon
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.
The Proteus announcement was made at Amazon's "Delivering the Future" event, held at its Dartford fulfillment center east of London, according to Reuters.
The broader €10 billion investment — equivalent to roughly $11.6 billion — also includes the expansion of two other robotic systems. Vulcan, Amazon's first robot with a sense of touch, is being rolled out to additional European sites. STARK, a tote-handling system that got its start in Barcelona, is slated for deployment at 15 European locations by 2027. STARK works alongside employees to pick full totes from conveyors and place them on carts, work that otherwise involves repetitive heavy lifting.
As part of the investment, Amazon said it plans to grow its European fulfillment center workforce by 25,000 over the coming years. The company said it currently supports more than 1.5 million jobs across Europe, including 230,000 direct employees.
Amazon also announced expansions to its delivery services at the event. Manchester and Birmingham are among the next U.K. cities slated to receive Amazon Now, the company's rapid-delivery service offering thousands of products within 30 minutes. Across Europe, over 25 new sub-same-day fulfillment hubs are in the pipeline for 2025, enabling shoppers to place orders as late as 5 p.m. for delivery that same evening.
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