Delivery Robots Taking Over the Streets
Ever ordered an UberEats or Had a Delivery Driver come to your door for your Order? This might be about to change…
Trials in Silicon Valley, California involve small sized driveable robots venturing out to deliver food to locals.
The vehicles have sensory cameras and can react to their surroundings, for example if someone was to walk in front of it, it can stop in time so as not to collide with anything. It can read traffic lights too - so it knows when to cross with the green man!
The robots are notoriously slow, and compared to a delivery driver, although much cheaper in the long run, can take up to an hour to deliver food that someone has ordered from barely 2 miles away. It also has some storage issues, for example it probably will not be able to fit a large pizza inside, and there is no ruling out the food can be stolen with a little intuitive - the robot does have secured locks when out on deliveries, however the following video demonstrates how easy it can be to open up the doors and steal food.
Although models began testing in the US, the UK Expects to roll out the robots by the end of 2020, the Co-Operative have released shopping delivery robots in Milton Keynes - Showing that the essential shopping trip could save you a trip to your local Co-Op!
Locals who work in food delivery needn’t worry about being replaced anytime soon. The robots only travel at a record 4mph and is yet to become fully automated, it needs a person to monitor it anyway, still - it is a step forward for the food courier industry and adds that extra bit of convenience for businesses and consumers alike
Written by Harrison Jones