Amazon plans a $536 million robotic fulfillment center in Australia, where robots like Hercules and Sparrow will work alongside more than 1,000 human employees.

Four-legged robots that scramble up stairs, stride over rubble, and stream inspection data — no preorder, no lab coat required.

Leeron is a New York-based writer who specializes in covering technology for small and mid-sized businesses. Her work has been featured in publications including Bankrate, Quartz, the Village Voice, ...