Public invited to explore Amazon's fulfillment center operations for free
In an exciting development, Amazon has opened up free, in-person tours at its advanced fulfillment centers to the public. These tours, available on select weekdays for visitors aged six and up, offer a unique glimpse into Amazon's cutting-edge robotic systems and AI-driven logistics.
The tours, which last approximately one hour, provide overviews of key processes and technology, safety measures, wellness innovations, Amazon's distinctive culture, and a Q&A session. The tours are designed to showcase the integration of automation and AI in Amazon's supply chain, with a focus on robotic sorting systems and large-scale automation.
One of the highlighted facilities is the Otay Mesa SAN5 center in San Diego, California, where visitors can witness robotic arms and Kiva robots sorting packages by ZIP code, demonstrating advanced logistics AI in action. Another impressive facility is the Ontario, California center, one of Amazon’s largest at 4.5 million square feet, which uses over 7,000 robots to process up to one million shipments daily.
These tours form part of Amazon’s broader community engagement and innovation initiatives, allowing visitors and small business leaders to witness firsthand the technologies driving Amazon's supply chain.
Amazon is expanding these tours to additional locations in Japan, India, Poland, and the United States later this year. Currently, in-person tours are available in more than 47 locations across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Japan, India, Poland, and the United States.
Registration for these tours is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Signups are available online.
Amazon's fulfillment centers hold an average of 4 million products for sale on Amazon.com. The company's commitment to innovation is reflected in its ongoing development of new technologies, such as Vision Assisted Sort Station technology and the introduction of Vulcan, its first robot with a sense of touch.
Robert Kowalik, Amazon's VP of operations for North America, expressed his excitement about the expansion of these tours, saying, "I'm extremely excited for more communities to see how we make the Amazon magic happen."
Amazon was recently named among PG's Retailers of the Century and appeared on its Most Sustainable Grocers list, demonstrating the company's commitment to both innovation and sustainability.
[1] - [Source for Otay Mesa and Ontario information] [4] - [Source for Ontario robotics information] [5] - [Source for broader community engagement and innovation initiatives]
The tours at Amazon's fulfillment centers, showcasing integrations of automation and AI in the supply chain, are designed to demonstrate the technologies driving Amazon's operations (Source: [5]). The use of robotic arms, Kiva robots, and Vision Assisted Sort Station technology are examples of the innovative technologies Amazon is developing (Source: given text).
