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A technology trial will see self-driving delivery robots on the streets of the UK, with two food delivery firms among the first to use the vehicles.
Starship Technologies is placing the small, driverless bots on the pavements as a means of delivering items on-demand in five cities as orders are placed via Just Eat and Pronto.co.uk.
Trials begin this month in the UK, as well as Germany and Switzerland of the new vehicles, which can deliver packages and food in a 2-3 mile radius, running autonomously while being monitored by humans in control centres.
Cameras and sensors guide the bots, which are able to sense obstacles and move around them.
A trial in the US began last year and has already clocked up nearly 5,000 miles and delivered to around 400,000 without an accident.
Ahti Heinla, CEO of Starship Technologies, said: “By launching partnerships with major companies we will enter the next phase in our development. While Starship has been testing the robots in 12 countries in the last nine months, we will now develop know-how on running real robotic delivery services.”
The trial will begin in London, though Starship say they have plans to extend the scheme to more cities in the future.
