Amazon is preparing to test humanoid robots for use in package delivery, aiming to deploy them from Rivian electric delivery vans directly to customers’ doorsteps. The move is part of the company’s broader efforts to automate last-mile logistics.
The company has more than 20,000 Rivian electric delivery vans in operation and expects that number to grow to 100,000 by the end of the decade. Currently, human drivers are responsible for both transport and delivery. The new initiative could see humanoid robots handle the final handoff to customers.
According to The Information, Amazon has built a testing facility, referred to as a “humanoid park,” at one of its San Francisco offices. The indoor setup simulates real-world delivery scenarios, including maneuvering around obstacles and entering and exiting Rivian vans.
Amazon reportedly plans to trial multiple humanoid robots from various manufacturers, including one from Chinese robotics firm Unitree. The company has previously worked with humanoid robots from Agility Robotics, although those deployments were limited to warehouse environments.
The initiative marks a shift toward testing robots in uncontrolled outdoor settings. Amazon is also said to be developing proprietary software for the robots, drawing on AI models such as DeepSeek-VL2, developed by a Chinese quantitative fund, and Qwen, a model from Alibaba.
The company has not disclosed a timeline for real-world trials, but discussions about limited outdoor testing are reportedly underway.