• NBC News, Friday, February 3, 2017 10:41 AM

How many robots touched your Amazon delivery before it was delivered to you? The e-commerce giant currently has around 45,000 robots in distribution centers across the country. But that number is about to get even higher. The retailer was just granted a patent for a robot that can pack orders, potentially speeding up the fulfillment process. One scenario detailed in the patent filing explains how a "human operator loads the tray with an inventory item," such as a coffee mug. Using suction, the item is grasped by a robotic arm and is "moved into the appropriate box from a group of boxes that are awaiting ordered items for shipment to customers," according to the filing.

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