Walmart's robotics patent applications point to some of its strategies for competing with Amazon on automated fulfillment and drone delivery.
Although robots don’t currently dominate the retail and logistics markets, Walmart is placing big robotics bets to streamline its supply chain and bolster its delivery capabilities.
Walmart has applied for over 65 patents related to drones and ground robots since 2016. The chart below shows Walmart’s patent applications for robots and unmanned aerial vehicles.