Raphael Thys
It has six wheels and can go up or down steps up to 7.9 inches high.
- Researchers have built autonomous delivery robots that can climb stairs.
- They can hit speeds of 12.4 miles per hour.
- The robots are more sustainable and will help lower transportation costs.
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In a few years, it will probably be pretty ordinary to see robots delivering packages and transporting goods in cities.
Delivery companies are always on the lookout for the next big innovation in the sector.
In the US, companies like Starship Technologies have seen huge growth as a result of the pandemic, and others like Coco are also scaling quickly.
Some big names have also developed their own autonomous delivery robots, like Alibaba, whose robots are becoming ever more prominent in daily life in China.
Many companies have already launched their first prototypes, but the robots developed by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and CARNET have a standout feature — they're able to go up and down stairs, according to the press release.
The new robots were developed by the UPC and CARNET, a research hub located in Catalonia (Spain) specialized in mobility and innovation funded by the Volkswagen group, SEAT, and the UPC itself.
The Institute of Robotics and Industrial Informatics (IRI) coordinated the project, which began in 2017.
These robots will be used for last mile delivery and will start operating in a pilot phase this year in Esplugues de Llobregat (Spain), Hamburg (Germany), and Debrecen (Hungary).
According to the researchers, it's estimated that last mile delivery accounts for more than 20% of the pollution in cities, something that could potentially be resolved with more efficient autonomous electric robots.
They also can operate at times where there's less traffic congestion.
The prototype can move at a maximum speed of 12.4 mph, and it measures 5.6 feet, by 3.8 feet wide and 3.8 feet high.
It has six wheels and can go up or down steps up to 7.9 inches high.
The researchers also noted that these devices would lower transportation costs, with last mile costs currently accounting for 40% of the total cost of delivery.
Factors like "urban congestion, lack of parking spaces for loading and unloading commercial vehicles, and local regulations make the management of urban distribution of goods a very high cost for logistics companies," the press release reads.
These autonomous delivery vehicles would represent "a significant reallocation of the carrier's costs and would make the service more economical and efficient than with conventional vehicles," it continues.
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