Amazon's, Jeff Bezos invests in robot company

Investment could signal change in how Amazon's factories are operated

Heartland Robotics, a startup working on industrial robotics, has received $7 million in funding from Amazon.com's founder, Jeff Bezos, according to a report by Techflash.

The Cambridge, Mass.-startup isn't saying much about itself at the moment, but on it's placeholder Website, the company explains it's "combining the power of computers -- embodied in robots -- and the extraordinary intelligence of the American workforce, to increase productivity and revitalize manufacturing."  

Sounds like Amazon is looking to operate its factories more efficiently with the help of robots.  The company's recent acquisition of Zappos points in this direction.  The factories Amazon acquired from Zappos had robots helping speed up the process of order fulfillment.  Zappos was working closely with Kiva Systems, a startup building these sorts of robots.  

Jeff Bezos, Amazon's CEO, took part in the investment round through his own investment firm, Bezos Expeditions.

Rodney Brooks, a co-founder of Heartland Robotics previously founded iRobot, which makes some pretty intense robots for the government and military, including machines that conduct under water surveillance in the ocean.  At the same time, iRobot also develops machines that will vacuum your house.

We'll see how this could change Amazon's factories in the near future.