Ford-backed Delivers.ai targets last mile self-driving deliveries
In this Cars of the Future exclusive, we talk last mile self-driving delivery robots with Michael Lacy, Chief Strategy Officer at Delivers.ai
In October, the London-based on-demand autonomous delivery service reached the final round of the Zenzic CAM Scale-Up selection process, with Programme Director Mark Cracknell praising “The quality and range of the finalists – testament to the innovative solutions that will make future mobility cleaner, safer and more efficient”.
Chief Strategy Officer
ML: “The market we’re targeting is last-mile for emission free, restaurant food, grocery and parcel delivery to the doorstep. Our robots work on camera-based technologies and low-cost sensors, travel at pedestrian speeds – up to about 6km/h – and, for safety, they give way to other pavement or cycleway users.
“We’ve been in R&D for the last 2 years and are now working with partners right across Europe on various pilot schemes. We’ve recently had investment from Ford, which is really important to us. Our long-term view is that our platform will ultimately be device agnostic – in that there will be different types and sizes of robots relative to the use case.
“Our business model is solely B2B, so our initial target partners include multi-site restaurant and grocery groups as well as parcel delivery operators. We looked at the volumes and average weights of grocery deliveries and developed our robot to have this capability. It can take a 30kg payload, enough for a multiple-item 3-day shop, with internal volume dimensions designed to take a stack of 14-inch pizza boxes.
Self-driving vehicle or robot?
“In terms of hurdles, it is taking time for the governance to catch up to the technology. It’s difficult to get a definition from a government body as to what is a robot and differentiate it from what is a vehicle – it seems open to interpretation, with different authorities taking different views. Some of the more progressive, like Milton Keynes and Northampton, are very clear that ours is a device, not a vehicle
“Raising awareness is a big part of this – demonstrating robots in practical use to the public and authorities to let them know that the safety angle has been carefully considered and educating businesses and local providers about the benefits of these devices. Not least in terms of cost savings, but also the drive to net zero and the substantial impact such a service has for those with mobility issues. Organisations such as Zenzic are very helpful to us in this regard and we again hope to be part of the CAM Scale-up this year.
“We’re also looking at other routes to market, for example, operating on private land. We’re discussing a pilot in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, as well as approaching various other universities and business parks.
“The more places we can operate, the more we can raise awareness and help people to understand that these robots are going to be helpful, the better. Much of our R&D is focused on safety, making sure that the robot behaves appropriately in relation to all kinds of challenges – from curious dogs to busy road crossings.”
For further info visit delivers.ai