Swiss Post tests self-driving delivery robots

Models from the manufacturer Starship Technologies are used, which can carry a payload of up to ten kilograms over a distance of around six kilometers. The delivery robots could supplement delivery logistics in the future and fill a gap in the market that Swiss Post has not yet filled.

From September 2016, Swiss Post will be testing the delivery robot as an additional form of delivery to supplement parcel delivery on a selective basis in future. Swiss Post sees specific areas of application for special consignments that need to be delivered flexibly, quickly and cheaply in a local environment. Possible applications include same-day and same-hour delivery, food deliveries and home deliveries of medical products. This ad hoc logistics over the last mile is currently not covered by postmen. This is why delivery robots could be a useful addition to the Swiss Post logistics chain in the future. Depending on the results of the tests, Swiss Post expects the first commercial deployments in three years at the earliest.

The delivery robots drive at walking pace on sidewalks and in pedestrian zones, navigate autonomously to their destination and automatically avoid obstacles and danger zones. Due to their limited range, delivery robots are suitable for consignments that need to be transported flexibly, quickly and cheaply in a local area. In contrast to delivery robots, drones, with their greater range and speed, offer advantages when transporting high-priority shipments or for delivering to people who live in remote areas. Due to their individual advantages, the two technologies can be perfectly combined.

Test drives at various locations

The delivery robots are being tested in the municipalities of Bern, Köniz and Biberist in order to gain experience in different situations. The Starship delivery robots are a technologically advanced product that is currently also being tested by companies in Germany and the UK in various areas of application. Navigation is based on a mixture of positioning signals (e.g. GPS) and visual recognition of the surroundings using several cameras. In tricky areas and in cases of uncertainty, a remote operator is called in to control the parcel robot from a distance. The parcel robot "learns" with every journey, thereby increasing its degree of autonomy. During the test drives, the delivery robots are accompanied and monitored by a person at all times so that as much information as possible can be gathered about their operation.