Amazon’s Delivery Robots Are Rolling Out — And They Might Beat You to Your Front Door

Amazon's Delivery Robots: The Future Is Rolling at Your Doorstep

Amazon is pushing forward with autonomous delivery innovation, testing two distinct types of robots—and while it’s still early days, the possibilities are exciting.

🤖 Meet the Bots: Scout vs. Humanoids

Amazon’s original attempt, Scout, debuted in 2019 as a six-wheeled cooler-sized bot operating on sidewalks in Washington, California, Georgia, and Tennessee, with on-site human monitors. Scout delivered during daylight hours, navigating around pets, pedestrians, and snow. Despite some early glitches—like freezing at the sight of squirrels—Scout experiments were wound down in 2022 – 2023.

Meanwhile, Amazon is testing a more advanced venture: humanoid delivery robots. Based in a San Francisco “humanoid park,” the company is trialing the Unitree G1, a two-legged, two-armed bot capable of climbing stairs and opening doors. These robots may eventually exit specially equipped Rivian vans—part of Amazon's fleet of 20,000 EVs planned to grow to 100,000 by 2030—to finish deliveries on foot.

🔍 Inside the “Humanoid Park”

The indoor testing environment replicates real-world delivery scenarios—complete with mock doorways, stairs, and even parked vans techfundingnews.com. Amazon is not building the hardware; it’s partnering with robotics firms like Unitree and Agility Robotics (which makes Digit), while its own Agentic AI team develops the software to enable navigation, natural-language understanding, and multitasking techfundingnews.com.

🚧 Why This Matters

Analysts at Bank of America estimate autonomous delivery robots could save Amazon $7.1 billion annually by 2032. That’s no small change—considering the “last mile” of delivery is the most expensive link in retail logistics.

These bots also align with Amazon’s sustainability goals; they’re electric, reduce carbon emissions, and relieve congestion from delivery vans .

🛠️ Challenges on the Ground

Despite progress, there are hurdles. Scout's top issues—curbs, pets, and extreme weather—still pose problems. The humanoid versions add complexity: balancing on uneven surfaces, interpreting dynamic human environments, and adhering to evolving regulations.

There's also the security question—while these robots are locked and tracked, theft, vandalism, and sabotage remain concerns .

📦 How It Could Change Delivery

Amazon’s Lab126 is simultaneously rolling out AI-powered warehouse bots—Sequoia, Proteus, Sparrow, and others—which streamline internal logistics and improve delivery efficiency. Meanwhile, AI-generated maps and potential smart glasses aim to guide drivers more accurately.

Combine this with bot delivery, and you’re looking at a future where packages arrive faster, with fewer vehicles on the road—and potentially zero human interaction involved.

Amazon’s Delivery Robots Are Rolling Out