CEO Jeff Bezos told investors at a shareholder meeting Wednesday that he expects to increase significantly the number of robots used to fulfil customer orders.

There are currently about 1,000 robot workers on Amazon floors. The increase won't change the number of actual people employed, an Amazon spokeswoman said.

The robots are made by Kiva Systems, a company Amazon bought for $775 million two years ago.

They are tied into a complex grid that requires months of planning and testing. But once the system is in place, it can save time and cut down on fulfilment costs.

David Fuller's view

You have probably heard the quip: Future warehouses and factories will only have two living inhabitants – a man and a dog.  The man will feed the dog and the dog will ensure that the man does not touch any of the machinery.