[ad_1]
FedEx is a courier and logistics company; and in 2019, this means that it must also have a stand-alone distribution bot.
The delivery service company, known for its overnight shipping, unveiled Wednesday an autonomous delivery device called SameDayBot. The bot, which will be tested this summer in select markets including Memphis, FedEx's hometown, is being developed in collaboration with DEKA Development & Research Corp. and its founder, Dean Kamen, who invented the Segway and iBot wheelchair.
FedEx works with AutoZone, Lowe's, Pizza Hut, Target, Walgreens and Walmart to understand how this standalone bot business could work. According to FedEx, the idea is to give retailers a way to accept orders from local customers and deliver them directly to the homes of their customers or their businesses.
The initial test will involve deliveries between selected FedEx Office sites, the company said. Eventually, the FedEx bot will complement the FedEx SameDay City service, which operates in 32 markets and 1,900 cities.
The underlying roots of SameDay Bot are iBot, one of Kamen's inventions. DEKA builds on the powerful foundation of the iBot, an FDA-approved mobility device for people with disabilities, to develop the FedEx product. And Kamen clearly sees this partnership with FedEx as another way to move the iBot forward.
"The bot has unique capabilities that make it different from other autonomous vehicles," said Kamen. "We have built on the power base of iBot, an advanced mobility device, approved by the FDA, aimed at people with disabilities, with over 10 million hours of reliable and real operation. By exploiting this base in an additional application, we hope that iBot will become even more accessible to those who need it for their own mobility. "
The FedEx bot is equipped with detection technologies such as LiDAR and multiple cameras that, when combined with machine learning algorithms, should allow the device to detect and avoid obstacles, to chart a safe path, while respecting the rules of the road.
FedEx says proprietary technology is the secret solution that gives the bot a great capacity and allows it to navigate unpaved surfaces, curbs and even steps for an extraordinary door-to-door delivery experience. This is an important feature for companies and their customers, who may not want or are not physically able to pick up a package at the bottom of the stairs.
FedEx's move follows the lead of other like-minded logistics and delivery companies, such as PostMates and Amazon. .
PostMates has developed Serve, a new cooler-meets-standalone stroller. In January, Amazon unveiled its six-wheel Scout robot. Then come all the private companies developing autonomous delivery robots, including Nuro, Robby and Starship.
[ad_2]
Source link