Swiss Post to test Starship delivery robots
Swiss Post will be conducting tests with Starship Technologies delivery robots to assess their suitable for last-mile goods and parcel delivery.
In a statement issued today (23 August), Swiss Post said: “Some of the conceivable applications include same-day and same-hour delivery, grocery deliveries or even home deliveries of medical products. This kind of ad-hoc logistics on the last mile is currently not covered by mail carriers, which is why delivery robots may one day provide a useful extension to Swiss Post’s supply chain. Depending on the test results, Swiss Post expects to see the first commercial applications starting in three years’ time at the earliest.”
Starship robots have a load capacity of up to 10kg and can carry goods over a distance of about 6km. Moving at a “walking pace”, the robots will travel on pavements and in pedestrian zones, navigating autonomously to their destination and using sensors to avoid obstacles.
Swiss Post added that it felt the two innovative autonomous technologies – land-based robots and flying drones – complement each other weill.
“The limited distance that delivery robots can travel means that they are suitable for consignments that need to be delivered flexibly, quickly and inexpensively delivered in a local neighbourhood,” said Swiss Post. “Unlike delivery robots, drones can travel further and at a higher speed, so they are beneficial when transporting high-priority consignments or for making deliveries to people who live in isolated areas. Together, the individual benefits of each technology will offer an outstanding combination.
Starting from next month (September), the delivery robots will be tested in the municipalities of Berne, Köniz and Biberist so that they can be assessed in a range of situations. The robots navigate using a mixture of geolocation signals (e.g. GPS) and visual recognition of the environment using multiple cameras. A remote operator will be on hand who can take control of the robot from a distance “at awkward points and in cases of doubt”.
“The delivery robots are always accompanied and monitored by a person during the test journeys so that as much information on its operation as possible can be collected,” added Swiss Post.
As previously reported, Starship Technologies robots have also taken part in trials in the London borough of Greenwich, as well as parcel delivery trials in Germany with Hermes.
