FedEx has introduced the SameDay Bot—an autonomous delivery device designed to make same-day / last-mile deliveries. Using the bot, retailers will be able to accept orders from nearby customers & deliver them the same day.
FedEx is collaborating with AutoZone, Lowe’s, Pizza Hut, Target, Walgreens and Walmart to help assess their delivery needs. On average, more than 60% of these retailer’s customers live within 3-miles of a store location, providing the opportunity for same day, local delivery. FedEx’s bot is being developed in collaboration with DEKA Development & Research Corp. and Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway and other life-changing technologies.
“The bot has unique capabilities that make it unlike other autonomous vehicles,” Kamen says, “The power base of the iBot is an advanced, FDA-approved, mobility device for the disabled. By leveraging this base in an additional application, we hope that the iBot will become even more accessible to those who need it for their own mobility.”
FedEx’s bot will be able travel on sidewalks, along roadsides, unpaved surfaces, curbs and steps. It features advanced technology such as LiDAR, multiple cameras and machine-learning algorithms to detect and avoid obstacles for a mishap-free door-to-door delivery experience.
FedEx plans to test the bot this summer as a complement to FedEx’s SameDay City service. FedEx currently offers a SameDay City service in 32 markets and 1,900 cities using branded FedEx vehicles and uniformed FedEx employees.
FedEx is collaborating with AutoZone, Lowe’s, Pizza Hut, Target, Walgreens and Walmart to help assess their delivery needs. On average, more than 60% of these retailer’s customers live within 3-miles of a store location, providing the opportunity for same day, local delivery. FedEx’s bot is being developed in collaboration with DEKA Development & Research Corp. and Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway and other life-changing technologies.
“The bot has unique capabilities that make it unlike other autonomous vehicles,” Kamen says, “The power base of the iBot is an advanced, FDA-approved, mobility device for the disabled. By leveraging this base in an additional application, we hope that the iBot will become even more accessible to those who need it for their own mobility.”
FedEx’s bot will be able travel on sidewalks, along roadsides, unpaved surfaces, curbs and steps. It features advanced technology such as LiDAR, multiple cameras and machine-learning algorithms to detect and avoid obstacles for a mishap-free door-to-door delivery experience.
FedEx plans to test the bot this summer as a complement to FedEx’s SameDay City service. FedEx currently offers a SameDay City service in 32 markets and 1,900 cities using branded FedEx vehicles and uniformed FedEx employees.
