Starship Technologies self-driving food delivery robots on the streets of Sunderland. They are working with new online delivery company Just Eat to trial this brand new service. The pilot includes actual consumer orders from twelve participating restaurants, including Koji, an Asian fusion restaurant on High Street West. With six chunky rubber wheels and a large pole topped with a flashing orange flag, these robots navigate the bustling city streets using built-in cameras.
Further, the robots help alleviate the staffing shortages many businesses are struggling with and that’s exacerbated during busy rush times. According to Rachael Atkinson’s report, the introduction of these robots will assist during busy times and staff shortages, providing support to human couriers. Ahti Heinla, founder and CEO of Starship Technologies made a key observation. He explained how the robots are meant to supplement human labor rather than supplant it.
Heinla further added that robots are a key part of the solution for actually getting infrastructure delivered to keep up with our ever-increasing demands. Yet, for many routes, humans will still be required to finish the last mile delivery. He is convinced that the future will include more and more human couriers and delivery robots. Such an eventual coexistence will change the delivery landscape significantly.
So far, Peter Richardson, general manager of Koji, said they have received a positive reaction from customers taking part in the trial. He continued, “The second thing was really cool, that’s so rare and a special thing to see you don’t anticipate seeing. He pointed out that these robots do not just gain access to a trendy gadget. It becomes more important, he said, because if something goes wrong one day, the drivers are still able to run. If that’s your backup,” he said, “you can no longer get the food out.
While the robots seem to have captured the imagination of many, questions are already being raised about the consequences of adding robots to the delivery network. Local resident Eugene Murphy said he’s skeptical about the need for the technology. He recognized the desire to innovate, but wondered if robots were really needed—for example—to deliver food.
Alex Marshall, the president of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), spoke out against the move. He tweeted it was “dystopian.” As much as the robot invasion of this sector is actually good news, he warned it’s a harbinger of more troubling trends. This trend can threaten employment opportunities for human workers.
In addition to the “young people” who will use the robots, they target folks who are “less mobile” and “unable to leave home,” Starship Technologies says. Heinla spoke to the global dearth of couriers. Robots help deepen equity. He argued that robots can help tackle many of these challenges.