Amazon applies artificial intelligence to worker safety

Amazon is testing a variety of robotic and smart technology solutions designed to create a safer workplace. At its Amazon Robotics and Advanced Technology labs located near Seattle, in Boston, and in Northern Italy, the e-tail giant is working on new technologies to help move totes, carts, and packages through its facilities. In the Seattle-area research and innovation lab, one project in early development involves the use of motion-capture technology to assess the movement of volunteer employees in a lab setting. These employees perform tasks that are common in many Amazon facilities, such as the movement of totes, which carry products through robotic fulfillment centers. Motion-capture software enables Amazon scientists and researchers to more accurately compare data captured in a lab environment to industry standards, rather than other traditional ergonomic modeling tools.