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Kiwibot and Sodexo launch robotic food delivery services to three university campuses

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Kiwibot, a robotic last-mile delivery company, is partnering with Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company, to expand its robotic fleet to “drive the future of smart university campuses”.

This August, the two companies will make robot deliveries available at three campuses in the US:

  • New Mexico State University;
  • Loyola Marymount University, California; and
  • Gonzaga University, Washington.

Kiwibot says it offers full remote and in-field customer support to businesses and integrates with any business’s point-of-sale to distribute their food products via “powerful, cute-looking robots”. [Read more…] about Kiwibot and Sodexo launch robotic food delivery services to three university campuses

Colorado launches ‘America’s largest fleet of autonomous, electric shuttles’

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Autonomous Vehicles Colorado (AvCo), a program designed to improve public transportation using advanced technologies, says it has launched “America’s largest fleet of low-speed, autonomous electric shuttles in multiple cities across Colorado”.

Service in the first of three locations officially launched a couple of days ago at Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

For at least the next year, the autonomous shuttle buses will connect Mines students, faculty, staff, and the general public with key destinations in the city and around campus that currently lack convenient mobility options. [Read more…] about Colorado launches ‘America’s largest fleet of autonomous, electric shuttles’

Starship Robots to launch almost 100 delivery robots at multiple new college campuses

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Starship Technologies, a provider of autonomous delivery services, says it will begin its robotic delivery services on four additional college campuses:

  • University of Illinois Chicago (UIC);
  • University of Kentucky (UK);
  • University of Nevada, Reno (UNR); and
  • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach, Florida campus.

These campuses join the list of college campuses across the US where Starship robots will continue to provide deliveries this fall with its global fleet of over 1,000 robots. [Read more…] about Starship Robots to launch almost 100 delivery robots at multiple new college campuses

Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors partners with REE Automotive to develop autonomous mobility solutions

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Hino Motors, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, and REE Automotive, an innovator in e-mobility, have signed a strategic business alliance agreement to realize their shared vision of “providing new value to society through next-generation commercial mobility”.

With the backdrop of advancements in CASE – Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric – vehicles, the automotive industry is entering a major transformation phase.

Hino and REE envision beyond this transformation a future in which commercial vehicles that support the movement of people and goods will evolve into mobility that provides new value and opportunities for society. [Read more…] about Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors partners with REE Automotive to develop autonomous mobility solutions

Miso Robotics partners with Lancer Worldwide to launch automated beverage dispenser

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Miso Robotics, a robotics and automation startup specializing in the foodservice industry, is partnering with Lancer Worldwide, a beverage dispenser manufacturer which works with the world’s top food and beverage brands, to build “an intelligence-backed, automated beverage dispenser that will bring enhanced functionality for a future-focused commercial kitchen”, according to the companies.

At a time when the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry is facing record labor shortages, operators are looking for ways to streamline operations, cut costs and implement solutions that drive a better and faster customer service experience. The pandemic drastically shifted the paradigm, creating new models for operator revenue streams that relied on drive-thru, takeout and delivery more so than ever before.

While 60 to 70 percent of certain QSR sales came from the drive-thru lane pre-pandemic, as Covid spread, major QSRs experienced a jump as high as 90 percent.1 Yet, the new delivery and drive-thru model have made the always-critical need of speed and efficiency an even bigger challenge as volume increases and staff decreases have added minutes to the clock for order completion. Because of this, total average drive-thru times slowed down by 29.8 seconds last year. [Read more…] about Miso Robotics partners with Lancer Worldwide to launch automated beverage dispenser

Beep launches Yellowstone’s first autonomous shuttles in partnership with Local Motors

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Beep – a provider of multi-passenger, electric, autonomous mobility solutions – has launched what it says is Yellowstone National Park’s first-ever autonomous shuttle program, called TEDDY (The Electric Driverless Demonstration in Yellowstone), in partnership with Local Motors, a designer and manufacturer of autonomous vehicles.

The TEDDY project, an ode to Teddy Roosevelt, will enable the National Park Service to test the feasibility and sustainability of autonomous mobility and better plan for the future of transportation.

Joe Moye, Beep CEO, says: “Beep is proud to have been selected by the National Park Service to provide transformative mobility at the country’s first national park. [Read more…] about Beep launches Yellowstone’s first autonomous shuttles in partnership with Local Motors

Everything You Should Know About Managed IT Services

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Doing business in the digital era means using technology to expand your business. If you don’t have an IT department to manage your digital needs, hiring managed IT services may be good.

By understanding what managed IT services are, you can weigh their importance and how they can affect your business. [Read more…] about Everything You Should Know About Managed IT Services

Demand for delivery robots has ‘quadrupled’ in past year, says Starship Technologies

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Starship Technologies, the world’s leading provider of autonomous delivery services, says its delivery numbers have “quadrupled globally since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic”, and the service is now available to 1 million people around the world.

Ahti Heinla, co-founder and CEO of Starship Technologies, says: “This past year has been a game changer for autonomous delivery, moving adoption ahead by years.

“When we launched commercial delivery three years ago, we didn’t expect to be at the point we are today. We marked the significant milestone of one million deliveries in January 2021 and we’ve since surpassed 1.5 million deliveries. [Read more…] about Demand for delivery robots has ‘quadrupled’ in past year, says Starship Technologies

EasyMile raises €55 million to scale up its autonomous vehicles business

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EasyMile, a developer of driverless vehicle solutions for material handling and shared passenger transport, has closed a €55 million Series B funding round.

Led by Searchlight Capital Partners, a private investment firm, with McWin and NextStage AM, the round saw all EasyMile’s earlier investors, including Alstom, Bpifrance and Continental, also participating.

The funding will facilitate the completion of EasyMile’s product and technology roadmap while accelerating its international expansion and client service. [Read more…] about EasyMile raises €55 million to scale up its autonomous vehicles business

Baidu Apollo to launch fully driverless ride-hailing services in Beijing

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Baidu Apollo will launch fully driverless robotaxi services to the public in Beijing starting from May 2, 2021.

This will be China’s first paid autonomous vehicle service where users can hail a robotaxi without a safety driver behind the steering wheel, marking a landmark step on the road to commercialization of autonomous driving.

The fully driverless Apollo Go Robotaxi service will first be launched in Beijing’s Shougang Park – one of the venues for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics – and will soon be transporting visitors at the games. [Read more…] about Baidu Apollo to launch fully driverless ride-hailing services in Beijing