Amazon Tests Humanoid Robots for Home Deliveries… with Rivian

In a bold move towards the future of logistics, Amazon is set to begin testing humanoid robots to facilitate package deliveries directly to customers’ doorsteps.

The robots will be deployed from electric delivery vans manufactured by Rivian, which Amazon has committed to expanding from the current fleet of over 20,000 vans to a target of 100,000 by the end of the decade.

To prepare for this ambitious development, Amazon has constructed a dedicated facility featuring a “humanoid park”, designed to replicate real-world delivery environments.

Amazon’s Next Step: Humanoid Robots Set to Transform Delivery Services

According to reports, this indoor obstacle course is located at one of Amazon’s San Francisco offices. The company plans to utilize a Rivian electric van on-site, allowing for comprehensive testing of how these robots will navigate from the vans to customer doorsteps.

While Amazon has extensive experience deploying autonomous robots in its logistics operations—primarily in controlled warehouse settings—its foray into humanoid robotics is comparatively nascent.

Previously, humanoid robots from Agility Robotics have been used within Amazon’s fulfillment centers, highlighting a distinction between operating in closed environments versus engaging in open-field deliveries.

The new testing initiative will mark the first time Amazon evaluates humanoid robots for actual customer deliveries, with plans for “field trips” to real-world locations already under discussion.

The company is exploring various humanoid options but has reportedly zeroed in on a model from Unitree, a Chinese robotics firm. In tandem, Amazon is developing proprietary software to operate these robots, leveraging technologies from Chinese companies such as DeepSeek-VL2 and Qwen—suggesting a growing interplay between advanced robotics and artificial intelligence.

As they prepare for this next evolutionary step in package delivery, analysts speculate that Amazon’s innovations could set new standards for the logistics industry overall.