Robotics & Automation News

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delivery robots

Caterpillar acquires delivery robot maker Marble

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Caterpillar, the manufacturer of large-scale equipment for sectors such as construction, mining and transportation, has agreed to acquire Marble, a startup company that makes delivery robots.

According to a report on construction news website KHL.com, Caterpillar is looking to build on its work in autonomous mining vehicles, where it’s famous for using gigantic driverless dump trucks (see infographic below).

Innovations and developments gained through the Marble acquisition could help Caterpillar to supply a new generation of technology to its other markets. [Read more…] about Caterpillar acquires delivery robot maker Marble

Starship and Sodexo send more delivery robots to university

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Starship Technologies and Sodexo have launched a robot food delivery service at Northern Arizona University in partnership with several restaurants

It’s something your mom always told you – eat your breakfast – and now college students are starting to do just that, thanks to Starship robots and Sodexo.

Research has shown that up to 88 percent of college students skip breakfast, primarily because of lack of time, but that number is starting to turn around when delivery robots arrive on campus.

Starting today, students at Northern Arizona University’s Flagstaff campus will have the convenience of receiving food delivered by robot.  [Read more…] about Starship and Sodexo send more delivery robots to university

Delivery robots market projected to grow at 20 percent a year

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The delivery robots market is expected to grow from $11.9 billion in 2018 to $34 billion by 2024, at an annual growth rate of 19.15 percent, according to ReportLinker.

Much of the demand will come from the e-commerce sector, according to the researcher.

There are numerous giant online retailers in the global market, along with the emerging ones.  [Read more…] about Delivery robots market projected to grow at 20 percent a year

Top 20 autonomous delivery robots: Ready to take over the streets

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Despite some occasional antipathy towards them, autonomous delivery robots are gaining ground in urban landscapes. 

While some local authorities are unsure about allowing machines to roam free on city streets, most people probably accept that it’s only a matter of time before regulations accommodate the new technology.

Universities, meanwhile, as well as other organizations such as hotels, airports and large companies with extensive grounds of their own, have the opportunity to allow relatively large numbers of these autonomous mobile robots to deliver such things as snacks and maybe books, documents, and other items to students, guests and staff.  [Read more…] about Top 20 autonomous delivery robots: Ready to take over the streets

Solving the tricky last-mile: Delivery robots to rescue e-commerce

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Logistics companies refer to it as the “last mile” – the final stage of dispatch, when the item goes from the local depot to the customer’s address.

The last mile is often the most complex part of the journey, and probably the least cost-effective, for obvious reasons:

  • the delivery vehicles are large and yet the parcels are small, making each delivery relatively expensive; and
  • the vehicles often have to traverse narrow, winding streets, covering much less ground using the same amount of petrol as when traveling much longer distances on a typical motorway, for example.

These factors, and many other difficulties, are why a lot of companies have been researching and developing a wide variety of interesting solutions for that tricky last mile. And with e-commerce growing so fast, the solutions can’t come fast enough.

[Read more…] about Solving the tricky last-mile: Delivery robots to rescue e-commerce