The Starship Enterprise, Starship Troopers now Starship Technologies, the company launched by the co-founders of Skype, is hosting trials of its self-driving delivery robots in Greenwich, London
The robot is designed for local distribution of goods and groceries. It uses the pavement, travels at slow speeds and produces zero emissions.
Ahti Heinla — the CEO of Starship Technologies — comments, “We realised less than two years ago with my co-founder, Janus Friis, that it is possible to automate last mile delivery using essentially today’s technology.”
The machine is capable of carrying the equivalent of two grocery bags and can complete local deliveries within five to 30 minutes. Customers can choose from a selection of short, precise delivery slots, meaning goods arrive at a time that suits them. During delivery, shoppers can track the robot’s location in real time through a mobile app. Integrated navigation and obstacle avoidance software enables the robots to drive autonomously.
