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Velodyne Lidar sensors enable Postmates autonomous delivery rover

Postmates has included Velodyne Lidar’s intelligent, versatile lidar technology in its innovative self-driving rovers for short-distance deliveries, Postmates Serve.

Equipped with Velodyne’s compact, powerful lidar sensor, Serve combines autonomy and emission-free robotics for movement of goods in cities.

Serve’s architecture includes Velodyne’s VLP-16 Puck sensor, which has been designed into the rover. The VLP-16 Puck is built into the top of the rover for a high-performance surround view, enabling Serve to detect people and objects as it completes local deliveries.

“At Postmates, we’ve spent the last couple of years researching and ultimately developing a rover that we feel works the best for on-demand delivery. When we set out to build Serve, we wanted a mature lidar sensor that we could trust, one that’s reliable and proven in the industry,” said Ali Kashani, head of Postmates R&D.

“Velodyne is a great collaborator and the company’s manufacturing capacity can support the growth of this program.”

Serve enhances the company’s existing fleet, which is currently completing over four million deliveries monthly, allowing for increased capacity and efficiency.

Velodyne sensors provide the high-resolution, real-time surround view data required for Serve to safely navigate local delivery routes.

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