Autonomous Robot Delivery
Getting your purchases to your front door — the “last mile” challenge — is an obsession throughout the multi-billion-dollar logistics and e-commerce industries. Although unmanned aerial vehicles have drawn lots of attention as the future for ‘last mile’ delivery recently, there is another option that is closer to the ground. The 2014-founded robot company, Starship Technologies, is piloting their autonomous delivery robot across several European and American cities, including London and Washington, DC.
The six-wheeled robots will obey crosswalk signals and deliver goods door-to-door. Weighing about 40 pounds, the delivery devices are equipped with nine cameras for navigating through the neighborhoods and recognizing mobile objects. They are designed to travel mostly on sidewalks, although they can negotiate small curbs.
This November, the company has partnered with Redwood City, Calif., for a nine-month pilot program of local companies’ parcel, grocery and food delivery using its autonomous robots. This program will start in this December.
Starship is not alone, several other companies and startups are also working hard on developing their autonomous robot delivery systems. Many experts in this field believe that robots may actually beat drones in this delivery business, not only because of their technological feasibility, but also due to legal, privacy and safety concerns.
Martinson, Starship’s chief operating officer, noted that “If a drone falls out of the sky, it could cause considerable damage, even death. There can always be a situation where it encounters a bird or a balloon.…Our machine is basically a suitcase driving at 4 mph, you’d need to get really creative to get hurt by it.”
Source:
Delivery Robots to Roll Out on the Sidewalks of Washington D.C.
Autonomous Delivery Robots to Hit Redwood City, Calif., Streets in December
