Food delivery firm Just Eat has today started a trial with autonomous delivery robots in Sunderland. This would be a huge step forward for the entire food delivery industry. Engineered by nonprofit Starship Technologies, these small robots are completely autonomous and are built to roll around the busy city center’s streets and sidewalks on their own.
The robots find their way using a series of cameras. Equipped with a pneumatic six chunky rubber wheels and a super tall pole topped with a flashing orange flag, these things are hard to miss on their travels. To start they’re just using the technology to deliver customer orders from 12 different restaurants in Sunderland. One of those restaurants is Koji, a cool Asian fusion joint on High Street West.
Peter Richardson, the general manager of Koji, told Smart Cities Dive that the response to the trial has been “excitingly positive.” He informed us that the robots have been key during high-volume times and staff shortages.
“It’s not taking away from the human side, because there’s always the option, but if you think about Christmas, New Year, Ramadan, then you’ve got things where the robots can take over when people want time off,” – Peter Richardson.
Chief executive and founder of Starship Technologies, Ahti Heinla, made a promise to the public. He went to great pains to insist these robots would not replace human workers. He said they will help at times of high demand. As we’ve heard throughout this process, they will help serve those who are less mobile or homebound.
“We are adding a new delivery option and it doesn’t replace people,” – Ahti Heinla.
Heinla further added, “I think there will be more and more both human couriers and delivery robots,” highlighting the complementary nature of technology and human workers in this evolving landscape. He went on to emphasize robots’ vital role in addressing the increasing demand. He acknowledged that not all delivery routes can, or should be, operated without people.
Reviewers had their good and bad experiences. The residents have acknowledged the positive and negative experiences of the robots’ rollout. As Rachel Atkinson, who used the robots with her son Teddy, put it, “It’s just a little bit crazy.” At the same time, Eugene Murphy questioned whether their community really needed this technology in the first place. Local resident Shaun Taylor thought it was great news Sunderland had been chosen for the trial. He welcomed the change, adding that the city is “just keeping up with the times.”
There are skeptics of the promised boons. Alex Marshall, president of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), said that the move to deploy these robots is reckless. Their arrival, he said, was “dystopian.”
Starship Technologies pointed to a dire lack of couriers worldwide. From a consumer perspective, they proposed that their robots would represent a more affordable delivery option, easing the burden on existing services. The goal of the trial is to improve the efficiency of delivery. This transition will begin allowing human couriers to focus on future deliveries deeper into the suburbs.