Amazon Robotics deployed Proteus, its first fully autonomous mobile robot, which uses AI-powered perception and navigation to move package-carrying carts through fulfillment and sortation centers while safely navigating around human employees. Proteus was introduced in 2022 and deployed initially in outbound handling areas.

Unlike Amazon's earlier drive-unit robots (such as Hercules and Titan), which operate in restricted zones, Proteus uses advanced safety, perception, and navigation technology to move freely in spaces shared with human workers. According to Amazon's blog, Proteus was initially deployed to move GoCart wheeled shelving units in outbound areas, with a stated goal of automating GoCart handling throughout the network. A 2026 report notes the latest Proteus version incorporates AI that allows employees to communicate with it using natural language. Amazon describes the prior process—employees manually pushing heavy GoCart shelving units—as the task Proteus is intended to replace.