Along with drones, they’ve been touted as the future of home delivery, but will robots actually become commonplace?
The future is already here

Since their introduction in 2015, delivery robots have made more than five million autonomous deliveries worldwide and yet they don’t seem to be commonplace in the UK.

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Designed by Estonian company Starship Technologies to carry out delivery of groceries and other goods at a small cost, they use pavements to travel. Which begs the question – how safe are they and how do they fit with others using our streets?

According to the BBC, Starship Technologies has involved the views of disabled people to ensure its robots are safe and are programmed to be ‘cautious pedestrians’. They travel at walking speed and are programmed to alter their course if they encounter an obstacle. They are also able to recognise when it is safe to cross at traffic lights.

Small in size, with just six wheels, they trundle along pavements to their destinations using sensors and machine learning algorithms. This makes them ideal for contactless delivery, as customers can open them via an unlock button on an app.

If a problem occurs, the robots can stop and send a message to remote operators.

Practicality

In reality, it seems most consumers still prefer traditional delivery services, which can transport more items and products which are heavy and bulky. While customers used to have to wait a few days for their goods, there are now numerous same day couriers. For those looking for a same day courier Leicester All About Freight is one of several possible reputable and reliable delivery service providers.

Delivery robots currently operate in Milton Keynes, Cambridgeshire, Greater Manchester and Leeds, so if you want a same day courier Leicester you won’t be able to use them.

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One of their biggest advantages is that they are emission-free and don’t contribute to congestion on the roads. However, many same day couriers now use electric vehicles and plan their deliveries to minimise the number of journeys they make.