FedEx Turns To Segway Inventor To Build Delivery Robot (cnn.com)

FedEx is the latest company to join the delivery robot craze. The company said Wednesday it will test a six-wheeled, autonomous robot called the SameDay Bot in Memphis, Tenn. this summer and plans to expand to more cities. From a report: It's partnering with major brands, including Walmart, Target, Pizza Hut and AutoZone, to understand how delivery robots could help other businesses. FedEx's interest highlights how businesses are increasingly focused on automating deliveries. It also raises concerns about the impact on cities and employment, as robots crowd sidewalks and delivery jobs are automated. FedEx's robot has a top speed of 10 mph and can carry about 100 pounds. A company spokesman said its typical speed would vary depending on the route. The robot relies on sensors typically used on self-driving cars to identify and avoid pedestrians.

Comments

6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[LifesABeach]

I will be interested to see it go up 4 or 5 flights of stairs.

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[Anonymous Coward]

I'll be interested to see them trivially robbed, over and over.

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[Dusanyu]

it will also be interesting to see how this handles the winter all of these images show a bot with wheels at are too small to handle deep snow. Drop these bots off in a place like Wisconsin, Minnesota or Maine and there wil lbe a delivery boy picking this thin up loading it on the back of a truck and finishing the job the "old timey" way.

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[PolygamousRanchKid]

I will be interested to see it go up 4 or 5 flights of stairs.

FedEx has licensed Dalek IP and technology to do this.

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[alvinrod]

If these did become popular, it's not too hard to imagine buildings installing a dumbwaiter that could be used by these robots. If it's a building that already has an elevator, there's no reason you could program the robot to use that and develop a way for them to interface with existing systems. Another alternative is that a robot can deliver it to a particular location and a drone can always carry it up to a balcony assuming it's not anything too heavy.

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[religionofpeas]

Seems like it would be less work to just make a robot with legs that can walk up/down stairs. That also makes it easier to navigate other obstacles easier.

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[grumbel]

This looks to be based on on the iBot wheelchair, which is capable of climbing stairs.

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[fluffernutter]

Where do you think Segway came from in the first place?

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[Freischutz]

If these did become popular ....

Package thieves will have a field day with these things unless they install an auto targeting taser array and a 360 degree teargas dispenser system.

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[fluffernutter]

I look forward to it plowing part of my driveway. Some times there is a foot of snow and I don't get to it right away.

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[scottrocket]

If these did become popular, it's not too hard to imagine buildings installing a dumbwaiter that could be used by these robots. If it's a building that already has an elevator, there's no reason you could program the robot to use that and develop a way for them to interface with existing systems. Another alternative is that a robot can deliver it to a particular location and a drone can always carry it up to a balcony assuming it's not anything too heavy.

If the bots+packages are not too heavy, cities & private entities could invest in cycleways for bicyclists shared with delivery bots, either side-by-side, or bots suspended and traveling from underneath the bicycle path. I'm guessing that some cabled lowering mechanism could be used for the descent and hand off to a street bot - details, details...

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[scottrocket]

If these did become popular, it's not too hard to imagine buildings installing a dumbwaiter that could be used by these robots. If it's a building that already has an elevator, there's no reason you could program the robot to use that and develop a way for them to interface with existing systems. Another alternative is that a robot can deliver it to a particular location and a drone can always carry it up to a balcony assuming it's not anything too heavy.

If the bots+packages are not too heavy, cities & private entities could invest in cycleways for bicyclists shared with delivery bots, either side-by-side, or bots suspended and traveling from underneath the bicycle path. I'm guessing that some cabled lowering mechanism could be used for the descent and hand off to a street bot - details, details...

It just occurred to me that some may not know that I was referring to an elevated cycleway, sort of like a monorail for bicycles. Sorry.

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[johnsie]

I'm glad I got that joke. Wish I had mod points to mod up.

Re:6 Wheels, Just Like NASA's Mars Rovers

[RespekMyAthorati]

And unemployed delivery guys will surround them with "pedestrian" mannequins, trapping them until their batteries die.

VBA. Yes, Visual Basic for Applications

[Oh really now]

Maybe FedEx should spend some time trying to figure out how to get their desktop shipping software built on something a little more modern before they go trying to figure out autonomous robots. Just sayin' .

Subways

[rsilvergun]

and maybe a light rail. I'm surprised retail doesn't push for them. Kinda like how Disneyland hides stuff.

Slashdotters don't know FIRST

[BenJeremy]

Kinda sad, really.

Dean Kamen helped found FIRST Robotics 30 years ago. It's likely he has some insight into the subject. That no Slashdotters have mentioned this at this point says a lot about the crowd that hangs out here these days.

There was a time when the denizens of /. not only knew about FIRST, but were active in supporting their activities, either as mentors or volunteers.

Re: Slashdotters don't know FIRST

[Cardcaptor_RLH85]

Very true. In fact, I'm volunteering at Kettering University District Event #1 this weekend and the team I mentor will be competing at Kettering University District Event #2 next week. The FIRST Robotics Competition is why I'm in technology in the first place.

People are assholes.

[TomBauserman]

People are going to steal packages, pizzas. They're also going to vandalize the robots.

Re:People are assholes.

[misnohmer]

They will quickly learn that it's easier to rip off a mailbox than a delivery robot. Robot is not always in the same spot, so you can't just sneak up to it at 4am when nobody is looking. Mailbox doesn't have cameras which record evidence and with someone monitoring which will immediately dispatch help if needed. Survival is not about outrunning the bear, it's about running faster than the other guy. Delivery robots will be harder targets than ripping off mailboxes, stealing from porches, or even mugging the delivery guy.

Re:Didn't he died?

[whh3]

I thought the exact same thing. Turns out that we mistakenly confused the owner of Segway with the inventor. The owner of the company that owned the rights to the name Segway fell off a cliff and died.

I was confused, too. Thanks for prompting me to look up this information!

Because the Segway was a smashing success

[OneHundredAndTen]

Let's do it again!

Re:Didn't he died?

[somepunk]

The Slashdot article