Amazon’s Blue Jay robot handles 75% of warehouse items with multi-arm system

Amazon has unveiled Blue Jay, a multi-armed robotics system that consolidates three separate robotic stations into one workspace, and Project Eluna, an AI assistant that helps operations managers make data-driven decisions. These innovations represent Amazon’s latest push to reduce repetitive tasks for employees while accelerating delivery speeds during the company’s busiest shopping season.

What you should know: Both systems are designed to work alongside Amazon’s front-line employees rather than replace them, focusing on safety and efficiency improvements.

• Blue Jay coordinates multiple robotic arms to simultaneously pick, stow, and consolidate items, handling approximately 75% of all item types Amazon stores at its facilities.
• Project Eluna acts as an “extra teammate” for operations managers, using historical and real-time data to anticipate bottlenecks and provide clear recommendations.
• The systems build on Amazon’s recent AI and automation advances, including Vulcan and DeepFleet.

How Blue Jay works: The system operates like a high-speed juggler, managing tens of thousands of items while keeping employees in their ergonomic “power zone.”

• Development time was compressed from the typical three-plus years to just over a year, thanks to AI-powered digital twins that allowed virtual prototyping.
• The system is currently being tested at a South Carolina facility and will eventually power Amazon’s Same-Day delivery sites.
• Blue Jay reduces repetitive reaching and lifting tasks that can strain workers physically.

In plain English: Digital twins are advanced computer simulations that mirror real-world physics, allowing engineers to test dozens of robot designs virtually before building physical prototypes—like playing with digital Lego blocks that behave exactly like real ones.

Project Eluna’s capabilities: The agentic AI system helps operations managers navigate complex decisions with less cognitive load.

• Managers can ask questions like “Where should we shift people to avoid a bottleneck?” and receive data-backed recommendations.
• The system will be piloted at a Tennessee fulfillment center this holiday season, initially focusing on sortation optimization.
• The goal is to give operators more foresight rather than forcing them to constantly “put out fires.”

In plain English: Agentic AI means the system can act somewhat independently, like a smart assistant that doesn’t just answer questions but actively analyzes situations and suggests solutions without being told exactly what to look for.

The bigger picture: Amazon is positioning these innovations as part of its broader “physical AI” strategy—technology that learns from contact with the real world.

• The company has created more jobs in the U.S. over the past decade than any other company and is actively hiring 250,000 positions for the holiday season.
• Amazon is investing in employee training programs, including Career Choice and new AI education offerings, to help workers adapt to AI-supported tools.

What they’re saying: “The real headline isn’t about robots,” said Tye Brady, chief technologist for Amazon Robotics. “It’s about people—and the future of work we’re building together.”

• “Our latest innovations are great examples of how we’re using AI and robotics to create an even better experience for our employees and customers,” Brady added.