Delivery robots are set to hit the streets of Central Bedfordshire

Delivery robots will soon be seen on the pavements and streets in Central Bedfordshire, as the council partners with Starship Technologies the world’s leading provider of autonomous home delivery services, to revolutionise home deliveries.

The robots, which are already working in Woburn Sands, are designed to deliver food, groceries, and packages to residents quickly and will be rolled out initially in Aspley Guise.

The area was chosen following research and analysis from the operator’s business development team, engineers, and business partners.

The robots travel at the speed of a pedestrian (no faster than 4mph) and use a combination of sensors, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to travel on pavements and navigate around any obstacles, while computer vision-based navigation helps them map their environment to the nearest inch. They can be over-ridden by humans, who can take control at any time.

Customers can choose from a range of grocery items, schedule their delivery, then drop a pin where they want their delivery to be sent and can watch in real-time on an app while the robot makes its journey to them. Once the robot arrives, customers receive an alert and can then meet and unlock the robot through the app.

One of the key advantages to the robots is they offer a service to people with mobility issues who can’t get to the shop easily or people busy at home.

Cllr Ian Dalgarno, Executive Member for Community Services said: “This is another example of the council looking for innovative ways to help our residents. The robots have been a success in other authorities, and we are keen to see the impact they have in Central Bedfordshire.”