Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Zappos.com Brings Robots to Online Retail

by Thomas Houston on June 27, 2008 at 05:01 PM



Zappos.com, online retailer extraordinaire of shoes -- and now gadgets -- recently made headlines for innovative hiring practices. After a week on the job, new employees are given the chance to leave the company with a $1,000 bonus if they feel that Zappos isn't the place for them. The company appears to be looking to the future with its recent hiring decision.

Zappos tapped into the productive capabilities of robots by hiring a fleet of automated warehouse workers to 'man' the stocking and delivery side of the shoe business. They worked with Kiva Systems to install the Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System, which promises to increase speed and efficiency in the Zappos' warehouse. The building is outfitted with a system of movable shelves, or 'pods,' instead of the traditional shelving units.

So how does it work? You log in to Zappos, order your shoes, and a signal is sent via Wi-Fi to the orange bots. Once the message is received, a pod will automatically whip around the warehouse, navigate to the correct pod, pick up your order, and hand it off to a worker to prepare your shiny new kicks for delivery. [Source: c|net]

Tags: retail, robots, shopping, zappos

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular