While there are many reasons why you might want to use a delivery robot, this article focuses on two of the more popular types. Amazon Scout and Starship Technologies’ Nuro are two of the most popular models. They are designed to provide last-mile delivery services. A remote operator may monitor the robot from a remote location and take control if it gets stuck. Alternatively, you can choose to leave the robot to operate independently. Regardless of the robot’s capabilities, it is a good idea to consider safety and ease of use when using delivery services.
Amazon Scout
Amazon has developed a delivery robot called the Scout to make package deliveries. It is designed to deliver items within a specified time window. When a package is ready to be picked up, a worker loads it into Scout and sends it to a nearby dispenser. Once it arrives at the customer’s location, the customer can retrieve the package and the Scout returns to its home base. This delivery robot has an estimated range of up to two miles.
Amazon is currently testing a limited number of the new device during weekday daylight hours. The testing includes a human Amazon Scout Ambassador. It will work closely with the research labs in the UK and US to develop 3D software that simulates the complexity of real-world environments. The company has committed to create jobs in 15 European countries and is hiring engineers for its Helsinki development center. Future job roles will be added as the project develops.
Nuro
The company has raised $600 million in series D funding to build its third generation of delivery robots, but has not given a specific release date. While the company is working to create the third generation of its bots, it has confirmed that it will assemble them in Nevada. The company will also use the Lancaster facility to support its new delivery vehicles. Nuro’s goal is to have a fleet of delivery robots by 2025.
The company’s robotic vehicles are fully autonomous, and have a payload capacity of 500 pounds. The vehicles are also equipped with heating and cooling, and customizable compartments for items to be delivered. The company has partnered with major companies like Kroger, Walmart, and Domino’s to test the technology on public roads in Arizona. Nuro is working to introduce its product to the general public as early as 2021. This company’s vision has many implications for society.
Amazon’s Roxo
While the Roxo robot is not quite ready to take over the world, the robotic assistant that will accompany it can help it navigate urban areas. The Roxo is outfitted with advanced cameras and sensors to navigate, and it has been able to successfully navigate obstacles in its demonstration. The robot uses GPS data, detailed maps, and cutting-edge machine-learning algorithms to navigate its way from one location to the next. The first tests of the robot are currently underway, with further testing set to follow.
In the near future, FedEx is also aiming to test a service that would let robots perform last-mile deliveries. The robot would be stationed at its contracted stores and would be loaded by FedEx employees. Executives see the sustainability benefit from this. Roxo robots would be powered by electric motors and navigate through streets with the help of 24 sensors. When they are in motion, they would be monitored by a central FedEx control room.
Starship Technologies’ Nuro
While the development of the UDI robotic delivery vehicle has made headlines in recent months, Starship Technologies’ Nuro delivery robot has been getting more attention. Unlike UDI’s large, bulky robot, Nuro is a compact, narrow vehicle with four wheels. This autonomous vehicle has been undergoing pilot programs in the U.S., including deliveries for Kroger in Texas. Nuro also recently received a permit to operate on public roads.
The company has more than a thousand robots in its fleet, and plans to add hundreds more to the network. While Starship’s robotic delivery robot is currently operating in San Francisco and Milton Keynes, it will expand to over 250 campuses this year and in 2019. It can carry multiple packages, like groceries, and it can travel four miles per hour. Users can track the robot’s progress through an app on their smartphone.