More local UK examples include Sunderland, which is conducting a trial of food delivery robots manufactured by Starship Technologies. They’re collaborating with online delivery company Just Eat for this fascinating test. The project seeks to investigate the promise of autonomous vehicles to help address the challenges of urban delivery logistics. This trial runs concurrent with actual customer orders from 12 local restaurants, demonstrating how innovative technology can help change the food delivery landscape for good.
The robots zip effortlessly up curbs and down the paved streets of the city on their six fat rubber wheels. Fitted with cameras to map their surroundings, they effortlessly zoom around pedestrians and cars. These robots are hard to miss given the tall pole topped with a spinning orange flag. This simple flag does a great job at getting pedestrians’ attention to their own presence. As they cut through this new, busy ecosystem, they do so with tremendous curiosity and some important questions about how they’ll affect the established delivery workforce.
Surprisingly, local residents have been mixed in their reactions to the robots. Rachel Atkinson, a local mother who witnessed the robots in action, said their presence was “a little nuts.” Her son, Teddy, appeared taken aback by the sight of the moving machines, highlighting the novelty of such technology in everyday life.
Members of the community—including resident Eugene Murphy—have expressed concern about the need for these robots. He recommended that a backup system be put in place in case problems with deliveries come up. I think the first comment he made around that, he was like, if anything goes wrong on any given day, the drivers are there to support you.
Supporters of the trial, including Shaun Taylor, think this technology is a sign of positive things to come for Sunderland. Taylor continued, “Sunderland is simply keeping up with the times,” perfectly capturing the feeling of going to the cutting edge. Peter Richardson emphasized the importance of the trial, calling it “really important” and “a unique thing” for the city.
Ahti Heinla, founder and chief executive of Koji, reflected on the trial’s reception. He said that overall feedback has been positive and declared the first effort a success. Heinla stressed that robots should only be a complementary part of any delivery system. He argued that rather than serve as a replacement for human couriers, robots will allow them to focus on larger deliveries beyond city centers. I think we’re going to see a lot more of both human couriers and delivery robots. That indicates an eventuality where they both have a place in the delivery ecosystem.
Notably, Starship Technologies reaffirmed that their robots are made to complement not replace human workers. The company says these robots will satisfy that increasing demand with efficiency. They stress that many delivery routes will continue to require humans to take part.