Amazon is set to revolutionize package delivery with the introduction of humanoid robots that will soon be coming out of Rivian electric delivery vans to bring packages right to your door. Currently, there are over 20,000 Rivian electric vans being used for Amazon deliveries, with plans to increase that number to 100,000 by the end of the decade.
While human drivers are currently responsible for delivering packages to customers’ doors, Amazon is gearing up to test humanoid robots to take on this task. A recent report from The Information revealed that Amazon has built a new facility to test these robots in an environment that mimics real-world delivery scenarios.
The facility includes an indoor obstacle course, referred to as a “humanoid park,” at one of Amazon’s San Francisco offices. This setup will allow the company to test how the robots interact with the electric delivery vans and deliver packages to customers.
The goal is for these humanoid robots to hitch a ride in the back of the Rivian vans and then spring out to deliver packages right to your doorstep. While Amazon plans to test several different humanoid robots, the report mentions that one of them is from China-based Unitree.
Amazon has a wealth of experience in utilizing autonomous robots in its operations, but its experience with humanoid robots is more limited. The company has previously used humanoid robots from Agility Robotics in its warehouses, which are closed environments. However, this new test program will focus on humanoid robots that will be operating in the real world to deliver packages to customers.
While the robots will initially be tested in the obstacle course, discussions are already underway for field trips in the real world. Amazon is also reportedly working on its own software to power these humanoid robots, drawing from technologies such as DeepSeek-VL2 and Qwen, developed by Chinese companies.
Overall, Amazon’s move towards using humanoid robots for package delivery represents a significant step forward in the evolution of logistics and last-mile delivery services. With the combination of electric delivery vans and humanoid robots, Amazon is poised to streamline its delivery operations and provide customers with faster and more efficient service.
