These are the robots on the frontline of Amazon's Christmas deliveries.

The machines are essential cogs in its Bolton warehouse, making sure customers' orders are completed in speedy fashion.

A network of 2,000 AI powered robots move in every direction across a vast warehouse floor.

Each robot glides beneath a storage pod, lifts it, and carries it to a workstation where employees either stow new stock or pick items for customer orders.

Instead of human workers walking long distances to find products, the products come directly to them.

Each box carries a unique barcode that the automated conveyor system reads, directing it through the building without any human input.

When the robots bring a storage pod to a stow station, the software scans the pod’s layout and uses computer vision to map every available slot.

The system then highlights the most suitable space for the item in the worker’s hand, so they know exactly where to place it.

By analyzing millions of shelf positions in real time, the AI removes the need for staff to search through storage towers, keeping the process quick and precise.

The site stretches across more than one million square feet, the equivalent of around 14 football pitches.

On the warehouse floor, 24 kilometers of conveyor belts move stock around the center, from goods arriving at the loading bay to the final packaging lines.

The shift towards highly automated systems is not unique to Amazon.

Across the global retail sector, companies are investing heavily in robotics and software to cope with rising order volumes and expectations for faster delivery.

Robotics now supports every stage of handling an order, from moving pods to sorting parcels.

"This is a very highly automated robotic warehouse. We process millions of orders a week through this particular building alone, which is one of over thirty within our UK network. Each of the orders that gets assigned to this building gets picked, packed and shipped in less than two hours. And we do that hundreds of thousands of times every single day," says Regional Director of Operations Neil Travis.

Alongside the automation is a growing apprenticeship programme.

In a workshop, the trainees learn engineering, maintenance and automation skills while earning degree level qualifications.

As the holiday season approaches, operations intensify. Inventory is increased, extra staff are brought in, and packaging lines run at higher speeds.

Even the application of address labels is automated.

Labels are blown onto moving parcels rather than pressed on by hand, a method designed to avoid damage, while AI powered cameras check shipments for accuracy.

The company says long term investment is essential to expand its logistics network and support growing demand across the UK.

AP video by Mustakim Hasnath