Estonian postal technology company Cleveron has developed a self-driving robot courier prototype to automate last-mile delivery and parcel handover from a courier to a customer.
The robot was designed to help manage the growing e-commerce parcel volumes more effectively and make last-mile delivery extremely convenient for the consumer, according to the company.
Explaining how it works, Cleveron said the self-driving robot courier will arrive at a customer’s house, place the parcel into the personal parcel locker and then leave. Customers get a message that the parcel has arrived and can pick up the parcel from the locker whenever it suits them. They do not have to stay at home and wait for the courier to arrive with their parcels.
The self-driving robot courier prototype was revealed at the Robotex International Conference Generation R in Tallinn, Estonia, last week. Cleveron plans to start piloting the robot courier on the streets of Estonia in 2020.
“Cleveron's future robot courier enables the e-commerce or logistics companies to automate their last mile delivery processes, helping to lower the costs. It also offers the chance to provide a delivery service with utmost convenience for their customers since they do not have to spend time waiting for the courier. This will shift the shopping preferences towards online shopping even more since it will be the most convenient and time-saving way to shop,” the company commented.
In August this year, Cleveron launched a personal parcel locker for customers as a kind of home parcel-box sized for delivery of parcels, mail and even food orders. The locker is opened by a key or through a mobile phone app which allows the owner to share the access with a courier company, the postman, family members and even friends.
When couriers arrive with a parcel, groceries or even a take-out dinner, they open the locker through the app, place the parcel inside and close the door. The app notifies the owner that a parcel was placed in the locker and they can retrieve it when they arrive home.
For groceries that require a certain temperature, Cleveron 201 has a special thermal box. When ordering food from an e-supermarket or take-away from a restaurant, the courier places the food in the thermal box which is designed to hold the temperature for two hours.
“The Cleveron 201 is based on the same vision as other Cleveron products – it is created to save your time and make your everyday life more convenient. Now you can install a personal parcel locker right in front of your house, so you will never have to wait for a courier or drive somewhere to get your parcels. You just come home and the parcels or your groceries are already there,” Cleveron’s CEO Arno Kütt said.
Cleveron 201 has been piloted in selected areas of Estonia together with supermarkets e-Coop and e-Selver as well as logistics companies including Estonian postal group Omniva and DPD. It is available for rent from €14.90 per month for homeowners in the areas where the pilot project takes place. The locker can be mounted on the wall or it can stand alone, the homeowner can choose the colour, the way the door opens and also order several button keys since the locker can be opened with the app or with a button key.
