has agreed to acquire Cloostermans, a company that makes robots capable of stacking pallets in its warehouses. Amazon said it has used technology from Cloostermans in Belgium, which also packs products.
Upon completion of the acquisition, Cloostermans’ approximately 200 employees will join Amazon’s global robotics division in Europe and may be dedicated to developing technology that they have the time to dedicate to Amazon’s needs. “By bringing together Cloostermans’ extensive experience in engineering, machinery and robotics, we will deploy solutions faster in our workplaces to support employees in their role and improve job safety, and help reduce packaging waste, Amazon.com has previously said it believes it has more robots.
Amazon has been introducing more robots into its warehouses to increase automation. In June, its first autonomous warehouse robot. The device is capable of moving a trolley full of packages on its own.
While Amazon has relied more on robots at its fulfillment centers for years, the acquisition of Cloostermans happened shortly after employees at the Staten Island facility became the first Amazon warehouse workers . The company said in 2019 that warehouse automation will be for at least a decade.
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