Amazon Taps Robotics to Tackle Repetitive Motion Injuries

New robot technology could help protect Amazon warehouse workers from repetitive motion injuries, robotics company Agility Robotics said this week.

Agility announced it will partner with Amazon to test its robot – Digit – for use in the mega-retailers operations. Digit will work in Amazon’s research and development facility first, Agility said. The human-like robot will work alongside Amazon employees, Agility said, taking on jobs too dangerous or too repetitive for workers to do.

‘Amazon is a company that is committed to making the work experience of their employees safer, easier, and less repetitive,’ Damion Shelton, co-founder and CEO of Agility Robotics, said in a statement. ‘When we announced our most recent version of Digit earlier this year, this is exactly the type of repetitive material handling deployment we had in mind; one that enables humans to be more human.’