Amazon Tests Automated Stations 2.5x Faster Than Current Hubs

Amazon accelerates delivery automation with Project Tetromino

Amazon is developing a next-generation automated delivery station that could process packages at approximately 2.5 times the speed of its current facilities, according to Business Insider, which reviewed an internal planning document. The initiative, code-named Project Tetromino, represents the company's latest push to integrate artificial intelligence and robotics deeper into its last-mile delivery operations.

The project focuses on automating tasks such as organizing packages and preparing them for loading into delivery vehicles. Amazon plans to launch a pilot facility in 2028, followed by additional sites if the concept proves successful, Business Insider reported.

Amazon disputed the timeline and financial projections contained in the internal document reviewed by Business Insider, stating that the project remains in early stages and plans could change. The company did not provide additional comment on the initiative.

Why it matters

This development signals Amazon's continued investment in automation to maintain competitive advantage in delivery speed and cost efficiency. With same-day and next-day delivery becoming table stakes in e-commerce, the ability to process packages 2.5 times faster could significantly reduce operational costs while supporting faster delivery promises. The 2028 timeline also suggests Amazon is planning multi-year infrastructure investments even as it already operates more than 1 million robots across its network.

Building on a decade of automation

Amazon has spent more than ten years systematically automating its logistics infrastructure. The company currently operates over 1 million robots across its facilities and has made strategic acquisitions to extend machine capabilities throughout its fulfillment operations.

During its July earnings call, Amazon reported delivering more than 40% additional items same-day or overnight during the first half of the year compared to the prior year. The company also expanded its Amazon Now service—which promises delivery within 30 minutes—to 80 additional U.S. cities and towns, and introduced Supply Chain Services to allow external businesses to leverage its logistics network.

By July 2025, Amazon had reached the milestone of 1 million-plus robots in its warehouses, approaching parity with its human workforce in these facilities. The robot fleet includes wheeled units that transport goods for packaging, robotic arms for product sorting, and machines equipped with tactile sensors that can pick items from shelves.

Tye Brady, chief technologist at Amazon Robotics, emphasized at the time that the new robots are designed to make workers' jobs easier rather than replace them.

Next phase targets last-mile operations

While Amazon has extensively automated its warehouses and fulfillment centers, delivery stations—the final nodes before packages reach delivery vehicles—have remained more labor-intensive. Project Tetromino appears designed to close this automation gap by applying AI and robotics to the sorting and loading processes that currently require significant manual handling.

The details were first reported by Business Insider and subsequently covered by Seeking Alpha.