The end of the courier? Self-driving 'ground drones' are heading to London to make deliveries across the capital
- February 23rd, 2016
The iconic mopeds of
delivery drivers everywhere are set to be ousted by 'ground drones' that
can navigate city streets by themselves.
After more than 3,000 hours
of testing in London, Starship Technologies' delivery bots are
scheduled to start local deliveries in Greenwich next month.
MailOnline tested the unnamed robots at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Unlike
robots designed to resemble humans, the Starship’s bot is purely
functional with a large compartment to hold deliveries, the equivalent
size of two grocery bags. MailOnline tested the unnamed robots at Mobile
World Congress in Barcelona ( pictured)
The robot was invented by
Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis who hope their machine
will be appealing for small businesses who could send up to 20lbs of
goods to local customers.
Unlike robots designed to
resemble humans, the Starship’s bot is purely functional with a large
compartment to hold deliveries, the equivalent size of two grocery
bags.
Each six-wheeled 'ground
drone' is almost completely self-driving. It is constantly connected to
the internet, using 3G technology to find its way to the customer's
address.
Walking on the pavement at
about 4mph (3km/h), robots can complete local deliveries within five to
30 minutes from a local hub or retail outlet.
Walking on the pavement at about 4mph (3km/h), robots can complete local deliveries within five to 30 minutes from a local hub or retail outlet. The bot's 'cargo trunk' (pictured) is sealed throughout the trip and only the customer can open it using a specific app upon the drone's arrival
After more than 3,000 hours of testing in London, Starship Technologies'
delivery bots (pictured) are scheduled to start deliveries in Greenwich
next month. Each six-wheeled 'ground drone' is almost completely
self-driving. It is constantly connected to the web, using 3G technology
to find its way to addresses
The scheme also costs between 10 to 15 times less than the cost of current last-mile delivery alternatives, Starship claims.
Keith Cornell, Senior Adviser at Starship told MailOnline: 'Trials will be in 14 cities if we get permission from councils.
Greenwich council has already given us permission and this will be the launch location with robots arriving' next month'.
He explained that by the end of the year it's hoped the robots will be 98 per cent autonomous.
'It's the last two per cent that's expensive,' he added.
So instead, the company plans on having a human operator in charge of 100 bots in case they run into trouble, for example.
He confirmed the firm has retail partners lined up - 'names you'll recognise' - but these are currently under wraps.
'Demand is not an issue,' he continued.
'The robot's designed to
make life easier, so people might still go to the shops to buy flowers,
for example, but could use them to carry heavy items such as potatoes
home.
Integrated navigation and
'obstacle avoidance software' enable the robots to steer clear of
pedestrians or to jump over kerbs and cobbles, for example.
However, human operators are ready to step in if an emergency should arise.
This includes if someone tries to steal the bot.
If a thief attempts to
tamper with the robot, or snatch it, the operator can take over -
talking directly to the wrongdoer and sending police to the drone's
location.
The drone's nine cameras can also capture the criminal's face.
In any case, the bot's
'cargo trunk' is sealed throughout the trip- only the customer can open
it using a specific app upon the drone's arrival.
Each six-wheeled 'ground drone' (pictured) is almost completely
self-driving. It is constantly connected to the internet, using 3G
technology. If a thief attempts to tamper with the robot, or snatch it, a
human operator can take over- talking directly to the wrongdoer and
sending police to the drone's location
One of Starship's main selling points is the battery-powered bot's
(pictured) zero direct CO2 emission, as opposed to the pollution brought
about but too many, short shopping car trips
The app will also allow shoppers to track the robot's location in real time.
One of Starship's main
selling points is the battery-powered bot's zero direct CO2 emission, as
opposed to the pollution brought about but too many, short shopping car
trips.
'Our vision revolves
around three zeroes – zero cost, zero waiting time and zero
environmental impact,' said Heinla, boss at Starship Technologies.
'We want to do to local deliveries what Skype did to telecommunications.'
Instead of expensive and
time-consuming door-to-door delivery, retailers can ship the goods in
bulk to a local hub, then the robot fleet completes the delivery to the
shopper's door for a fraction of the cost.
'With ecommerce continuing
to grow consumers expect to have more convenient options for delivery –
but at a cost that suits them,' Heinla said.
'The last few miles often amounts to the majority of the total delivery cost.'
The Greenwich program will show whether the future of delivery will really have the shape of these robo-buggies.
The trial is part of the
€25 million EU 'Smart Cities' project, which experiments with new
technologies to impoverish people's lives.
The debut follows months of technical testing all around London.
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ROBOT'S ANTI-THEFT MEASURES
If a thief attempts to
tamper with the robot, or snatch it, a human operator can take over-
talking directly to the wrongdoer and sending police to the drone's
location.
The drone's nine cameras can also capture the criminal's face.
In any case, the bot's
'cargo trunk' is sealed throughout the trip- only the customer can open
it using a specific app upon the drone's arrival.
The app will also allow shoppers to track the robot's location in real time.
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