Online grocery shoppers in the Borough of Greenwich in London have had food successfully delivered to their homes by a driverless truck, called CargoPod. This first trial of its kind is part of a wider autonomous car initiative led by TRL and involving the technology division of the online grocer Ocado. The trial delivery was…
Chinese online retailer JD.com Inc has launched a robot delivery service at multiple universities across China. The autonomous delivery robots feature parcel storage units and ‘smart’ locks that can only be operated via a QR code. Built in a variety of sizes, the electric-powered robots have a range of 20 kilometres on a single charge…
France-based TwinswHeel has launched an autonomous parcel delivery droid. TwinswHeel is a smart, flexible and efficient droid for all year round delivery 24/7 “We design and manufacture the droids that will contribute to the future of urban logistic,” said co-developer Vincent Talon. “The first step is to focus on enclosed sites such as large industrial…
As autonomous robots and drones gain ground in solving the last mile delivery problem, they’ll be delivering more and more packages – resulting in more and more material for recycling… So its only right that the solution to collect the garbage should also be an autonomous garbage collection vehicle. Swedish car maker Volvo Group has…
A Swedish startup company called FlyPulse is about to launch life-saving emergency response drones. FlyPulse have developed a quadcopter that can automatically fly and carry an automated external defibrillator (AED) to help save people with cardiac arrest. The alarm system used by an operator to send the drone to the emergency location is also developed by FlyPulse….
National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) unveiled its InMotion autonomous people pod concept at the CES Asia show in Shanghai, making its debut alongside the company’s new Saab-based all-electric cars. The NEVS vision is for the electric InMotion to serve as a form of public transport, rather than as a vehicle to be purchased for personal…
Is this the first ‘practical’ flying car? A Czech pilot called Pavel Brezina has designed and built the GyroDrive – an autogyro modified to be driven on public roads. “This is the only road-certified flying vehicle I know about,” Brezina told the AFP news agency. “Everyone is trying to make a high-speed car that can…
Led by British entrepreneur William Sachiti, Guildford, UK-based startup, The Academy of Robotics, has gained permission from the UK government to test out a prototype of its Kar-Go ‘last mile delivery’ vehicle on public roads. Within Kar-go’s body is a series of compartments containing customer’s packages. The unit utilises artificial intelligence software to detect and navigate…
As part of a trial, UK retailer Tesco has completed its first robot delivery using Starship Technologies six-wheel robot. In a statement, Tesco said: “We carried out a one-off trial as part of our Tesco Now initiative in partnership with a technology company. We learnt a great deal from this trial and we’ll be reviewing…
US-based electrically powered utility vehicle company Workhorse Group is testing a last-mile package delivery system using drones based on trucks. Workhorse is developing the delivery method using both electric vehicles and drones, eliminating the need for drones to make individual trips from a warehouse. The drone will be installed on the truck so that once the…
One of China’s largest online retailers, JD.com, plans to develop a drone which is capable of carrying one ton of cargo. The technology is scheduled to be tested over the next two to three years in the northwestern Chinese province of Shaanxi – and is intended to create a solution for the delivery of food…
A new online delivery service called Kiwi Campus has launched at University of California, Berkeley, using small robots on wheels to deliver food across the campus. Kiwi is an app that allows students to order food on demand – but delivered to their door by a KiwiBot. Kiwi founder Felipe Chávez thought of the idea…
Amazon has announced a major investment to boost its research and development into the use of delivery drones, with the opening of a new Prime Air Development Centre in Clichy, France. The centre houses a dozen software development specialists charged with creating traffic management software to support Prime Air – a delivery system from Amazon…
Lysaker, Norway-based Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) plans to deliver its agency essentials via drone. WSS Ships Agency VP business solutions & marketing Marius Johansen said: “Whether it is deliveries of critical documents or vital medical supplies, tank inspections, or monitoring cargo and stockpile levels, we believe semi-autonomous drone flights can support and further enhance what…
A startup company called TeleRetail, based in Switzerland – and with offices in Germany and the US – has launched a prototype delivery robot which is designed to cover long distances of up to 50 miles. TeleRetail develops artificial intelligence and the ONE line of self driving robots to ‘automate local logistics, while minimising the ecological…
Toyota has just agreed around $350,000 funding to Cartivator, a group of 30 young Japanese enthusiasts – working with drone expert Masafumi Miwa from Tokushima University – who have spent the last few years developing their flying vehicle, called Skydrive. “We had already approached Toyota several times, so we were very happy that we finally made…
At the Auvsi Xponential 2017 event, in Dallas, Texas, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich introduced Loomo Go – an autonomous delivery robot created by Segway Robotics. Able to be operated just like an actual Segway, Loomo Go is designed to help people and deliver different things, independently orienting themselves in space. It is equipped with Intel…
In Texas, on 5 May, a team of drone experts – amusingly dubbed ‘Team Roadrunner’, after the famous fast-running cartoon character – set a US record for long-distance delivery by drone. Using a fixed-wing UAV, the team managed to deliver a 1.8 kilogram package over a distance of 97 miles from central Texas to Austin….
Online food ordering and delivery business Delivery Hero Group and Starship Technologies have launched a robot food delivery pilot program in Europe. Operating under the Foodora brand, the program was rolled-out in Hamburg today. “In the future, we view delivery robots as an integral part of modern life for businesses and customers.” Delivery Hero CEO…
I wouldn’t usually revisit an ‘old’ story, but I’ve just found the video that should have accompanied my ‘Drone taxi, anyone?‘ story from 1 March this year… In March, I wrote that Dubai intends to start a passenger-carrying drone taxi service from July! The egg-shaped, four-legged, eight-propeller Chinese-made EHang 184 has already had its debut…
Just a day after I first talked about Lilium, the VTOL taxi, Uber has announced that it has selected Virginia-based Aurora Flight Sciences as a partner to develop electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for its Uber Elevate Network. “Uber is taking a big step forward toward making the world’s first VTOL network a…
In Canada, ATB Financial has a new addition to its customer service team, a humanoid robot named ‘Pepper’ who will be used “to help enhance the customer experience”. ATB is the first North American financial institution to introduce the robot which can interact with customers, answer questions, and even dance. “Bringing on Pepper to assist…
OK, so it’s not a drone or a robot – and that’s what I usually talk about – but it’s a flying taxi which takes off and lands vertically, and that makes me happy! Powered by an electric battery, the Lilium Jet has 36-propellers spread across its wings and can fly up to five people…
Slovakia-based AeroMobil is now taking pre-orders for its flying car – and it will cost only $1 million! AeroMobil unveiled its new model at the Top Marques supercar show in Monaco and the first deliveries of its two-seater vehicle are expected by 2020. Powered by hybrid propulsion, it can change from car to plane in…
Swedish company Einride has announced what it calls ‘a new transportation system’ featuring futuristic-looking vehicles called T-pods. On its website, Einride says: “This is not a company, it’s a movement. We are rethinking the entire supply-chain infrastructure from the ground up, creating the transport solution of the future.” Einride is installing what it describes as the…
In Germany, courier business Hermes has already tested a robot parcel delivery service in Hamburg – and has now announced trials in the London suburb of Southwark, using Starship Technologies’ six-wheeled autonomous robot. Hermes CEO Carole Woodhead said: “Starship Technologies is a highly innovative and pioneering firm. We are extremely pleased to utilise their expertise…
San Francisco-based robotics startup business Marble has announced its first partnership, working with fast food ordering and delivery business Yelp Eat24. A few city restaurants are helping Marble and Yelp trial the new service. The food outlets place their meals inside the robot’s cargo bay and on arrival, customers use an access code which has…
While more and more logistics companies test the viability of drone delivery, the hobbiest market poses a threat to their future. My interest in UAVs centres around their commercial use, so I’m not that interested in drones as a hobby. Drone racing doesn’t do it for me! And I’m concerned that the rising popularity and…
In most towns and cities we see bus lanes, designed to speed public transport. They mostly do just that, but they also take away a lane from other road users, making them think, perhaps, about swapping to taking the bus. Cycle lanes are there too and their purpose is primarily to allow cyclists to ride…
I know I’m posting this blog on 1st April… but it’s for real! California based Advanced Tactics Inc has completed the first successful trial of its Panther system – a drone that will take off, fly, land and then drive to make a delivery. The small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) air/ground robot combines VTOL (vertical…
For the past couple of weeks, logistics company Swiss Post, the Ticino EOC hospital group and US-based drone manufacturer Matternet have been successfully conducting test drone flights between two hospitals in Lugano, Switzerland Over 70 tests flights between the two hospitals have been carried out and there are now plans to establish a regular service…
A year after Domino’s Pizza Enterprises unveiled the world’s first autonomous pizza delivery vehicle in Australia, it has announced that it is to introduce pizza delivery robots in Germany and the Netherlands this summer. Despite having worked with Marathon Targets for its initial robot delivery trial in Australia (pictured), in Europe it is working with…
After more than three years of construction and programming, Spencer the robot has completed various tests at Schiphol airport, successfully guiding some KLM passengers to their departure gate. During the various tests, Spencer scanned boarding passes from passengers and guided them to the correct departure gate. As Spencer automatically headed off towards the gate, with…
As the letter to the EU Council that will trigger Article 50 to begin the Brexit process is delivered, Len McCluskey, the leader of the UK’s biggest union Unite, has warned that more action is needed by the government to prepare the country’s workforce for increasing automation. He is calling for the establishment of a…
Hard on the heals of Virginia, Idaho has become the second US state to pass legislation to allow delivery robots to roam its streets. From 1 July, Starship Technologies’ delivery robots will be allowed to operate autonomously in Idaho – at a maximum speed of 10 miles and hour – without a person walking with…
It’s all happening in Dubai! The city in the sand plans to be the first to launch a drone taxi service and it will be the first to deploy Robot police officers. The original 1987 film RoboCop saw a superhuman cyborg law enforcer hunting down dangerous criminals, but this real-life version is designed to deal…
In the UK, Devon and Cornwall Police has been advertising for a ‘drone manager’ to head up its new dedicated 24-hour drone surveillance team, due to be launched this summer across its two counties, plus Dorset. The force began trials of DJI Inspire1 drones, fitted with high-definition cameras, in November 2015. In an interview with…
If government backing can be found, a Yeovil, UK-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer called Windhorse Aerospace will build drones that can deliver food, water and medical supplies into hostile, difficult-access areas and sites where natural disasters have occurred. The drone, called ‘Pouncer’ has a 3 metre wingspan, is self-navigating and can carry a payload…
Well, the whole point of this blog is to celebrate that the future I read about in comics and watched on TV or at the cinema when I was a kid, is actually here, Now! So let’s put two of my interests together – driverless cars and drones – and see what Airbus has dreamed…
German car manufacturer Volkswagen Group unveiled its first autonomous car concept, Sedric (SElf-DRIving Car), at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. The capsule-like vehicle builds on new electric technologies, which the company believes will open up possibilities to redesign the car for increased comfort and leisure. Volkswagen claims to be the first automobile manufacturer to present…
Passengers making their way through customs at Chinese airports could soon be greeted by a fleet of small information providing, crime-fighting robots. Sanbot has been trialled in China’s Gongbei Customs, a port on mainland China’s border Macau. Designed and built by Shenzhen-based Qihan, Sanbot can speak 28 languages and is designed to interact with people…
In the United States, Virginia state governor Terry McAuliffe has signed a ruling allowing delivery robots to use public pavements from 1st July 2017. While pilot programmes are underway in Washington DC and Redwood City, California, Virginia is the first state with a law governing such robots. Advised by the robot’s maker Starship Technologies, the…
I’ve been following the introduction and success of Starship Technologies’ delivery robots and their ‘Robovan’ project with Mercedes – and mulling over the future of local deliveries, particularly for the food industry. My interest has so far focused on autonomous deliveries by drones and robots, but now it is going to have to include droids…
I was in Dubai last week for the annual Gulfood event – and also presenting the Gulfood Innovation Awards – and the media was filled with news that in July, Dubai intends to start a passenger-carrying drone taxi service! The egg-shaped, four-legged, eight-propeller Chinese-made EHang 184 has already had its debut flight over the sail-shaped…
The first commercially available flying car in the world is now for real! Following the successful test programs of their concept vehicles in 2009 and 2012, flying car manufacturer PAL-V has officially started the sales of its commercial models, the Liberty Pioneer and Liberty Sport. “After years of hard work, beating the technical and qualification…
The constant challenge to reduce costs in ‘the last mile’ for any delivery has become an obsession for almost everyone in the logistics industry. And for those who share my interest in new technologies, there have been some very exciting developments in recent months. In November last year, in New Zealand, Domino successfully delivered its…
Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA has completed installation of Savioke’s hospitality robot – Relay – at two hospitality properties. According to the company: “Relay is designed for autonomous delivery of items between people and its first application is in the hospitality industry, already delivering items and delighting guests at US hotels. Relay delivers snacks and…
In the United States, Cafe X Technologies has begun road-testing a new machine that will see consumers served coffee by a robot barista. The company has unveiled the concept for the first time in the US, combining machine learning with automation to quickly serve up a quality coffee. It hopes that the so-called robotic café will…
Pepper the robot – from SoftBank Robotics – has been hired at HMSHost’s Pyramid Ale Taproom in Terminal 2 at Oakland Airport in California to offer menu advice, give directions and add ‘a certain something’ to the dining experience. Pepper has been specially programmed to suggest food and drink selections based on a customer’s personal…
In the UK, a Department for Transport study has shown that driverless cars could significantly reduce delays. The research project used computer software to create virtual models of different parts of the UK road network including urban roads and a 20km section of motorway. According to the study, delays and traffic flow were all shown…
A patent, filed by online retailer Amazon in 2014 has been discover by CB Insights analyst Zoe Leavitt, detailing plans for giant flying warehouses, carrying fleets of delivery drones. The warehouses, referred to as ‘airborne fulfilment centres’ (AFCs), would be carried by airships stationed above cities, and used to store items and then deliver them…
For the food industry, or rather for those who rely on working in it, it’s been an interesting and perhaps prophetic year. From supermarkets without checkouts to drones and robot deliveries, the face of food retailing and foodservice is changing at an alarming but exciting rate. Welcome to the future of food, powered by the…
Glasgow Airport has introduce an all-singing, all-dancing humanoid robot to ‘entertain’ passengers. While regular readers of my blog will recognise the robot as Pepper… this time around it is called GLAdys – named after the airport’s international code. It is claimed to be the first robot to be used by a UK airport. Pepper as…
In France, the General Directorate for Civil Aviation (DGAC) has authorised the DPDgroup to operate a regular commercial drone delivery service. A statement on the DPD website said: “For the first time worldwide, a regular commercial route makes it possible to deliver parcels by drone. “Once a week, the DPDgroup drone travels between Saint-Maximin-La-Sainte-Beaume and Pourrières,…
For the food industry, or rather for those who rely on working in it, it’s been an interesting and perhaps prophetic year. From supermarkets without checkouts to drones and robot deliveries, the face of food retailing and foodservice is changing at an alarming but exciting rate. In a FoodBev Media podcast, I talk about the…
On 7 December, Amazon made its first drone delivery – to an actual customer – dropping off a Fire TV streaming stick and a bag of popcorn to a house in near Cambridge, England, just 13 minutes after receiving an online order. Amazon is making its drone-delivery service available to customers who live within a…
In November, a drone called ‘Dru’ successfully delivered a Domino’s pizza to an address just north of Auckland, New Zealand. Domino’s claimed that it was the first ever unmanned aircraft to successfully carry out an autonomous pizza delivery. For foodies, you need to know that Emma and Johnny Norman’s order was a peri-peri chicken and…
San Jose International Airport – the Silicon Valley travel hub – is the first airport in the United States to introduce customer service robots to provide travellers with entertainment, as well as directions to dining and shopping destinations. “It’s very important for Silicon Valley’s airport to offer services for our travellers that are iconic to…
Last week, in Colorado, USA, a driverless Uber truck made a 120 mile journey to deliver 50,000 cans of Budweiser beer – the first recorded commercial shipment by an autonomous vehicle. Otto, bought by Uber in August, takes Volvo trucks and retrofits them with lidar laser detection units, radar and cameras, which together collect data…
‘AnBot’ has begun 24-hour patrols at the Shenzhen International Airport in Guangdong, China. It can use a taser, remotely activated by a policeman watching through the robot’s eyes The airport security ‘RoboCop’ droid is 1.45 metres tall, has a top speed of 18 kilometres per hour, and features four facial recognition cameras. It can use…
I just spent two enjoyable days at the ‘Lunch!’ show in London where I saw the latest offerings in the the food-on-the-go category. While the accent for much of the show was on healthy and convenience alternatives to the traditional lunch-time sandwich, several other technologies and initiatives caught my eye. Not least was ‘Huggg’… not…
Project Wing, a unit of Google’s parent company Alphabet, has cooperated with fast food business Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc and Blacksburg University, Virginia, with an experimental burritos delivery service on the campus of Virginia Tech. Approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, this can claim to be the first food delivery service of its kind. “It’s…
Hitachi has started trials of its EMIEW3 humanoid robot at Tokyo’s Haneda airport in Japan. The 90 centimetre-tall robot communicates with passengers in Japanese and English and has autonomous capabilities to guide users to destinations. “We are hoping to use EMIEW3 to assist efforts to extend hospitality at Haneda airport through our trial runs,” said…
US home improvement stores Lowe’s is introducing LoweBot, a NAVii autonomous retail service robot made by Fellow Robots, in 11 of its stores throughout the San Francisco Bay area. Following a successful robotics test of OSHbot at one of the company’s Orchard Supply Hardware stores, LoweBot will roll out in phases over a seven-month period…
As part of 7‑Eleven’s 89th birthday celebrations, the world’s largest convenience retailer teamed up with Flirtey to complete the first fully autonomous drone delivery. “This delivery required special flight planning, risk analysis, and detailed flight procedures ensuring residential safety and privacy were equally integrated,” said Chris Walach, director of operations for the Nevada Institute for…
Humanoid assistants called ‘Pepper’ are being trialled at Belgian hospitals in Ostend and Liege and are employed to greet and interact with visitors. ‘Pepper’ uses cameras and sensors to detect human emotions, can interact in 20 languages, and features a display screen on its chest. The software developers claim these are the first robot in…
Wroclaw airport in Poland has carried out the first test of EuGenius, a customer service robot which speaks foreign languages and knows the rules of etiquette. “In the future, artificial intelligence will replace me as president,” said Dariusz Kuś, president of Wroclaw Airport. “If the robot proves itself, soon more robots will join it. We…
Silicon Valley, US-based advanced physical security technologies developer Knightscope has introduced Knightscope K3, designed for indoor applications. “It is imperative that we finally give chief security officers a highly capable, affordable solution worthy of carrying us through the 21st century and beyond.” K3 joins K5 which been successfully delivering security functions outdoors for over a…
Can you down your credit card and pay with your body? Wearable technologies are gaining ground fast and while they’re great it you’re a fitness fanatic and want to track your progress, a growing number of wearables are adding contactless – and therefore cashless – payments into the mix. According to eMarketer, In the United…
In Australia, Domino’s Pizza Enterprises (Domino’s) has unveiled the world’s first autonomous pizza delivery vehicle! The autonomous robotic platform inside the custom body was supplied by Sydney, Australia-based Marathon Targets. DRU (Domino’s Robotic Unit) is a four wheeled autonomous delivery vehicle with compartments built to keep the customer’s order hot and drinks cold while traveling…
Panasonic System Solutions Asia Pacific (PSSAP) and Changi General Hospital (CGH) are implementing assistive robotics technology to improve operational efficiency of a hospital in Singapore. Experimental use of the Panasonic autonomous delivery robots, HOSPI, began in February 2015 and they are being implemented in phases. CGH is the first hospital outside of Japan to utilise…
Nestlé Japan is using a humanoid robot to sell Nescafé machines as part of its ongoing effort to enhance brand engagement with consumers in Nescafé’s biggest market. ‘Pepper’ is the first robot in the world that is able to read and respond to human emotion. Equipped with the latest voice and emotion recognition technology, ‘Pepper’ is…
Daimler Trucks has unveiled the transport system of the future. The Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 will drive itself. The road there is being paved by assistance and telematics systems that are already in use today. These were brought together in a highly intelligent system called ‘Highway Pilot’. The result: increased safety, lower fuel consumption and…