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Amazon Robot Picking Challenge 2015

Posted by samzenpus on from the better-picking dept.

mikejuk writes The Amazon Picking Challenge at ICRA (IEEE Robotics and Automation) 2015 is about getting a robot to perform the picking task. All the robot has to do is pick a list of items from the automated shelves that Amazon uses and place the items into another automated tray ready for delivery. The prizes are $20,000 for the winner, $5000 for second place and $1000 for third place. In addition each team can be awarded up to $6000 to get them and their robot to the conference so that they can participate in the challenge. Amazon is even offering to try to act as matchmaker between robot companies and teams not having the robot hardware they need. A Baxter Research Robot will be made available at the contest.

4 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. Pay me once, shame on me. by Immerman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So basically they're paying the winners less than one year's salary for a picker, in order to develop a technology that will permanently replace virtually every picker in all their warehouses. I see how this is a good deal for Amazon, not so much how it's fair for the competitors or good for the human race.

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    --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    1. Re:Pay me once, shame on me. by JBMcB · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I'm sure you had your secretary type out your message for you. Or are you using a job-destroying computer?

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      My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
    2. Re:Pay me once, shame on me. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Robots are a good deal when it comes to grueling and repetitive tasks that are harmful to human workers.

      It's good for the human race because the jobs in the Amazon warehouses are too difficult for human workers to perform safely over long periods of time.

    3. Re:Pay me once, shame on me. by plover · · Score: 3, Insightful

      So basically they're paying the winners less than one year's salary for a picker, in order to develop a technology that will permanently replace virtually every picker in all their warehouses.

      I didn't understand that either. Someone with a machine vision and shelf picking system could name their price instead of settling for a measly $10K. Hell, they could lease just one of those pickers out for $10K/year each, and Amazon would snap them up as fast as they could come off the factory line; as would just about every other warehouse operation in the country.

      I'd say "nice try, Amazon", but it doesn't even seem like they're trying. This is just pathetic.

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      John