Next time you drop a coin, think about how naturally you pick it up—you hear it bounce, see where it lands, and use your sense of touch to grab it. For humans, this process is automatic. But for robots, it’s a major challenge.

Despite all their achievements, like playing chess or navigating city streets, most robots can’t feel what they’re doing. In fact, as Aaron Parness, Amazon’s Director of Applied Science, puts it, most robots are “numb and dumb.” When they run into something unexpected, they either stop completely or power through without knowing they’ve hit anything.

That’s why Amazon’s new robot, Vulcan, is a game-changer. Introduced at the Delivering the Future event in Dortmund, Germany, Vulcan is Amazon’s first robot with a sense of touch, bringing together cutting-edge robotics, engineering, and AI to perform tasks that were previously out of reach for machines.

What Makes Vulcan Special?

Unlike traditional robots that rely only on vision or suction to pick items, Vulcan feels its way through tasks, just like a human hand would. It can tell how hard it’s pushing, whether it’s gripping something too tightly, and even recognize when to stop to avoid damage.

In Amazon's fulfillment centers, items are stored in small, fabric-covered compartments. Retrieving or placing items in these tight spaces has always been tricky for robots—until now. Vulcan’s precision grip, powered by force feedback sensors and a flexible "end of arm tool," allows it to.

• Rearrange items gently to create space.
• Pick or place objects without damaging them.
• Adjust grip strength based on size and shape.
• Use a built-in camera and suction to target specific items.

Vulcan can handle about 75% of the products stored in Amazon warehouses and does it at speeds similar to those of human workers.

A Helping Hand for Amazon Employees

Vulcan isn’t here to replace people—it’s here to support them. In fulfillment centers in Washington (USA) and Hamburg (Germany), Vulcan is used to access hard-to-reach storage areas, like the top or bottom shelves. These spots usually require employees to use ladders or bend low, which can be tiring and unsafe. With Vulcan doing the heavy lifting, workers can stay in their “power zone”—working more comfortably and efficiently.

According to employee Kari Freitas Hardy, Vulcan makes everyday tasks easier and even opens doors for employees to move into technical roles by learning new skills through exposure to robotics.

Built to Solve Real Problems

Vulcan was born from a real need, not just for flashy tech. Amazon noticed that using ladders slowed workers down and caused strain. So, they built a robot to solve that. It took years of development in areas like.

• Force and touch sensing.
• Smart gripping tools.
• AI that learns from physical interactions.
• Visual systems to identify free space and items.

And Vulcan keeps getting better. Just like humans, it learns from its mistakes, figuring out how different items react when touched and building knowledge with each task.

The Future of Fulfillment

Amazon plans to roll out Vulcan across Europe and the U.S. over the next few years. It's just one of many advanced robots being deployed—more than 750,000 robots are already helping Amazon employees around the world.

These innovations aren’t just about automation—they’re about collaboration. Robots like Vulcan are creating new types of jobs and giving employees access to career growth in fields like maintenance, robotics, and engineering through programs like Amazon’s Career Choice.

Smart Tech in Action

Vulcan is part of a larger ecosystem, including Amazon's VAPR (Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval) technology, which helps workers quickly identify packages using visual cues. This showcases Amazon’s focus on solving real problems with innovative solutions. As Aaron Parness puts it, “Vulcan, once deemed impossible, is now transforming how we work.”