Visiting an Amazon delivery station can feel like walking into the past.
While many of its massive fulfillment centers are equipped with the latest robots and automation, Amazon’s delivery stations — the final stop before packages reach the doorstep — remain mostly manual. Workers often sort parcels by hand, load them into bags, and stage them for drivers.
That could be changing. Business Insider reports that Amazon is developing an internal initiative called Project Tetromino to build “fully automated” delivery stations, citing an internal planning document that includes specific financial projections.
The name appears to be a nod to Tetris, reflecting the puzzle-like challenge of efficiently organizing packages for delivery vehicles.
“We’re always exploring and testing new technologies across our operations to improve safety and the delivery experience for customers,” Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser said in a statement. He added, “The details cited here are inaccurate and don’t reflect our current plans. Like any early-stage concept, this is one of many initiatives we regularly evaluate, and plans evolve significantly as we learn.”
Business Insider reported that a key technology behind the effort could come from Boxbot, an Alameda, Calif.-based robotics startup that uses conveyors and AI-driven storage trays to automatically sequence packages for vehicle loading. The company says the process is up to 10 times faster than manual methods.
Boxbot has raised $29.5 million from investors including Toyota Ventures, Playground Global, and Maersk Growth.
Responding to an inquiry from GeekWire, Boxbot CEO Austin Oehlerking said he could not comment on activities with any specific customer but said the company has “tested and deployed live systems within the parcel delivery, logistics, and automotive industries over the last several years.”
Oehlerking described Boxbot’s technology as filling a gap in warehouse automation. Automated storage and retrieval systems are typically designed for fulfillment operations, while Boxbot is building them for high-throughput package handling at other points in the supply chain.
“This type of storage system can be very useful at different points in the supply chain, depending on the customer,” he added.
Amazon said its delivery station initiatives are “designed to complement and empower our workforce.” The company has been ramping up automation across its operations, with more than a million robots now deployed in its fulfillment network and plans to more than double its fleet of robotic arms this year, citing goals to improve safety, ergonomics and efficiency.
The company has also opened a Last Mile Innovation Center in Germany, where it has been testing delivery station technologies including automated unloading, sorting, and scanning systems.