Robots helping to fill online orders at a warehouse in Massachusetts increased productivity upwards of 800 percent, according to Locus Robotics. The robots were designed to work with human employees rather than replace them. By helping with tasks such as taking items up to the front of the warehouse, the mechanical helpers freed human hands for other duties. It can save employees from walking 15 miles each day, reported Wired.

Each robot was designed with tray-like arms and a base with wheels, and has the ability to avoid items in its way and can travel about 4.5 mph, according to Tech Insider.

"Using Locus Robotics has been proven to increase throughput 5-8x, and there has been upwards of 800 percent improvement in warehouse associates working with the system," a company spokesperson said. 

Similar to Amazon's Kiva robot, which the company inherited when it bought Kiva Systems in 2012, the Locus robot uses new technology, reported Forbes. Amazon has been estimated to use 15,000 robots in 10 of its warehouses.

Locus used 10 robots in two facilities, and CEO Bruce Welty said the company was able to ship over a billion dollars' worth of products a year.

"The solution addresses all the challenges that keep warehouse operators up at night - scalability, redundancy, portability, flexibility, adaptability and manageability - while dramatically improving throughout and quality. It's the culmination of many, many years of doing, thinking, building and testing within the four walls of the warehouse," said Welty in a press release.

Locus Robotics said the robots could work in any type of facility and be up and running in just weeks.