Delivery Robots: Coming To A Curb Near You

March 13, 2017

Imagine, opening your door expecting the delivery guy and welcoming a robot instead. Starship Technologies has introduced a small army of six-wheeled delivery robots destined with the fate of zooming food up the block and to your doorstep. The refrigerated bot is designed to carry groceries or take-out. Each robot weighs just 35 pounds and travels at a speed of 4 mph, holding no more than a 20-pound load. The idea of a robot delivering food to your door is mighty futuristic. In the United States, food delivery companies are biting at the opportunity to revolutionize their delivery service. DoorDash in Redwood City, California and Postmates in Washington, D. C. have already partnered with Starship. While this futuristic advance in food delivery is impressive, it also raises a few concerns. Is it safe and reliable to use robots to deliver goods you’ve prepaid for? Starship explains that each robot has a lock that can only be opened by the customer, once they receive a text with a code to unlock it. The bot itself, however, cannot help but attract attention from plenty of curious pedestrians. Starship’s delivery robots have also sparked competition. Could popular food delivery services like Stop & Shop’s Peapod or UberEATS be in danger in the future? Will delivery job positions eventually become fewer to come by? Starship prides itself in its fast expansion and as more bots hit the sidewalks, we can only wait to see how they perform.

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