Amazon is shutting down tests of its home delivery robot, the latest sign that the e-commerce company is starting to wind down experimental projects amid slowing sales growth.
Work on Scout, an autonomous machine launched about three years ago, has already been halted, according to a source.
Amazon spokeswoman Alisa Carroll said the Scout team was being disbanded and would be offered new jobs in the organisation.
About 400 people were working on the project globally, according to the sources. A skeleton crew will continue to consider the idea of an autonomous robot, but the current iteration isn’t working.
“During our Scout limited field test, we worked to create a unique delivery experience, but learnt through feedback that there were aspects of the programme that weren’t meeting customers’ needs,” Ms Carroll said. “As a result, we are ending our field tests and reorienting the programme. We are working with employees during this transition, matching them to open roles that best fit their experience and skills.”
The Seattle-based company began testing the cooler-sized bots on suburban sidewalks outside Seattle in 2019, before expanding the trials to Southern California, Georgia and Tennessee. The slow-moving devices, accompanied by human minders during tests, were designed to stop at a front door and pop open their lids so a customer could pick up a package. Amazon said the battery-powered robots were part of an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its delivery operations.
Only a few month ago, Amazon was still holding meet-and-greets in communities where it was testing the devices. Sean Scott, the vice president who oversaw the robot’s development, left the company last year, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Under chief executive Andy Jassy, Amazon is adjusting to slowing growth in its core retail group, delaying some investments and pulling the plug on others. The company has a reputation for backing radical experiments that can take years to come to fruition, a roster that includes cashierless stores, flying delivery drones and a satellite constellation that promises to beam internet access around the world.
Amazon is discontinuing Amazon Glow, a kids-focused video calling device. The company has also frozen hiring for its corporate retail teams and is winding down Amazon Care, its start-up telehealth service.
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Brief scoreline:
Al Wahda 2
Al Menhali 27', Tagliabue 79'
Al Nassr 3
Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
