The genius co-founders of Skype and Kazaa have recently turned their attention to a new project: autonomous, six-wheeled delivery robots. The electric-powered ‘bots will be used for testing on the streets of London in 2016, clad in the livery of their new company Starship Technologies.
The robots are electrically powered, like all trendy vehicles, and can make deliveries in a radius of 30 minutes from their central hub. They’re designed to be used in a fully autonomous 99% of the time, but a human operator is overseeing their movements and can intervene if necessary. This might be a course adjustment in response to a safety hazard spotted by the robot’s nine-camera avoidance system, or merely talking to passersby via the robot’s microphone and speakers. Each unit has GPS and a 4G connection to its home base, as well as a little flag to make sure it’s spotted by distracted commuters.
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The idea behind the robots is to make hyper-local deliveries at very specific delivery windows; you might need to be in for only ten minutes, instead of an hour or a day. They’re also more socially acceptable than air-based deliveries, with fewer privacy or safety concerns than the average drone.
The founders are also hoping that the cost per delivery will be lower than traditional methods, estimating it’ll be 10x to 15x cheaper. While robbery seems an obvious concern — after all, the units can’t weigh much more than a couple bags of shopping — the contents should at least be secure, unlockable only by the recipient’s smartphone.
What do you make of Starship’s delivery robot plans? Let us know in the comments below, or write to us on Twitter @mobilefun.
Starship Technologies, via Ars Technica