In a UK first, a robot delivery service is being rolled out in a town centre to deliver food and drinks from selected brands.
Starship Technologies has been operating the robotic delivery vehicles in other areas of Milton Keynes for the past two years. During that time it has clocked up over 100,000 deliveries, with some residents making up to 200 orders per year.
Now the service is expanding, allowing residents and workers in the centre of the Buckinghamshire town to order food and drink from a list of brands and have it delivered to their door by robot.
The brands include Peels Juice Bar, Pepes Piri Piri, Bandit Street Food, Maaya Indian and Legend One Sushi Bar, with more expected to be added throughout the month, local newspaper Milton Keynes Citizen reports.
As well as offering a convenient new way of buying drinks, snacks and meals, it’s hoped that the automated deliveries will help reduce traffic congestion and emissions.
“The robots have become an iconic sight in the town and everyone’s excited at the prospect of them delivering in the town centre,” said the Mayor of Milton Keynes, Councillor Sam Crooks.
“For the 180,000 people who work in the centre of MK, this means that they can get their lunch delivered to them conveniently, saving them time during their working day.
“We’re living in an era where we are more conscious about the individual effect we’re having on the environment, and the centre of MK can get very congested. Hopefully this new service will ease congestion in the centre and make it that bit more environmentally-friendly, whilst giving workers the opportunity to experience robot delivery in a town on the front line of new technological advancements.”
Robotic delivery vehicles are just one example of new technologies that rely on superfast, always on, ubiquitous connectivity. Read more about how the next wave of connectivity will transform key business sectors by downloading your free copy of our Next-generation connectivity report.
Tags: robotics
