Posten Norge (Norway Post) has started testing deliveries of letters and parcels with “the world's first self-driving delivery robot” in the town of Kongsberg.
The robot, called Buddy Mobility, has been tested intensively in densely populated areas over the last few weeks and will shortly start making its own independent deliveries.
The robot is loaded at Posten's distribution point in the centre of Kongsberg and then drives itself at 6km/h (a brisk walking speed) to a specific place in a housing area. There it is available from around 12 to midnight for customers to collect or send items. Then it returns to the distribution point to be filled with next day's shipments.
Customers are notified electronically if they have a delivery and are sent a code to open the relevant compartment in the robot. There are 75 compartments of different sizes, designed up to serve up to 100 households.
"Customer feedback will ultimately determine whether this will be a success and if this is one of the delivery methods for the future,” said the postal group’s CEO Tone Wille. “The Norwegian winter presents challenges for self-propelled vehicles and therefore this test is important to us. We believe in a self-driving future and are excited to see the results from the test.”
She emphasised: “This is not science fiction. We are using today's technology to create cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions for the future.”
Presenting the robot in July, Posten Norge said the robot would be equipped with advanced control and sensor technology, and its low speed of only 6km/h meant it poses little risk to its surroundings.
The world's first self-driving letter and packet robot was developed by Posten, with Buddy Mobility as technology partner. Buddy Mobility is made up of a consortium of Norwegian and international suppliers and investors who have developed a variety of solutions based on autonomous technology.
