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Amazon Halts Blue Jay Warehouse Robot Project After Six Months

lite News Desk 2 min read

At a glance

  • Amazon stopped the Blue Jay robotics project in January 2026
  • Blue Jay was introduced in October 2025 as a ceiling-mounted robot
  • Employees from Blue Jay were reassigned to other robotics work

Amazon discontinued its Blue Jay warehouse robot project in January 2026, less than half a year after the system was first introduced to speed up same-day delivery operations.

The Blue Jay robot, revealed in October 2025, was a ceiling-mounted, multi-armed system designed to enhance efficiency in Amazon’s fulfillment centers. The company reassigned staff who had worked on Blue Jay to other robotics initiatives following the project’s halt.

Testing for Blue Jay took place at a fulfillment facility in South Carolina. The robot was developed in about a year, which was a shorter timeline compared to Amazon’s previous robotics projects.

Amazon stated that it plans to use the technology developed for Blue Jay in other robotics programs, including a new system called Flex Cell. The company continues to work on additional warehouse robots, such as the dual-arm Vulcan system.

What the numbers show

  • Blue Jay was introduced in October 2025
  • The project was halted in January 2026
  • Development of Blue Jay took approximately one year

Blue Jay encountered several obstacles, including high manufacturing costs and engineering complexity. Integrating the robot into Amazon’s Local Vending Machine (LVM) warehouse structure also proved challenging.

Amazon is adjusting its warehouse architecture strategy, moving away from the LVM model toward a modular approach called Orbital. The Orbital system is expected to support smaller and more configurable fulfillment sites.

Although the Blue Jay project ended, Amazon stated that the core technology will be incorporated into other robotics efforts. The company’s ongoing robotics development includes both new and existing systems aimed at improving warehouse operations.

Employees who previously worked on Blue Jay have been assigned to other robotics initiatives within Amazon. The company has indicated that lessons learned from Blue Jay will inform future projects, including the Flex Cell system.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.

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