Amazon claims it will be ‘ending the field tests, and is shifting the focus of the test program.’
Amazon is stopping deliveries made with its six-wheeled Scout robot as it revises the software.
According to Bloomberg reports(Opens in an entirely new window) The 400-member Scout team is currently being disbanded. Team members are being offered new positions within Amazon as soon as they are.
A spokesperson has said that Amazon will not be ending the Scout program in general, and that only a few “will be focused on reimagining it.” However, for the moment you’ll not see Scout out and about.
“During our limited field test for Scout, we worked to create a unique delivery experience, but learned through feedback that there were aspects of the program that weren’t meeting customers’ needs,” the spokesperson informs PCMag. “As the consequence, we’re closing our field testing and reorienting the program. We’re working with our employees throughout this transition and putting them in positions that are best suited to their expertise and experience.”
Amazon first launched Scout back in the year 2019. Scout is about the same size of a small cooler, which restricted the amount of containers it could transport. Field tests also required that a human minder to be present however the expectation was that Scout could be able to function autonomously. It was looking promising even last year when Amazon established a new Scout team comprised of engineers charged with improving the robot’s navigation capabilities however, it was not enough.
The announcement of the demise of Scout is in line with reports from earlier this week that Amazon has decided to end its child-focused Glow smart display less than a year after its launch. The company is currently engaged in a range of transportation and delivery initiatives, but the main focus is on drones, electric vehicles as well as Amazon’s ever-growing number of airplanes.
