British supermarket chain Ocado has started using self-driving delivery vans to deliver online orders around London.
This was a 10-day trial of the so-called Cargopods. The online-only supermarket chain developed the vans together with Oxbotica, the robotics arm of Oxford. The vans can travel up to 30 kilometres on a single battery, with a maximum speed of 40 kilometres per hour. Lasers and cameras ensure that the van drives the correct route and avoids obstacles. When the vehicle arrives at its destination, the lid of the van opens automatically. The compartment containing the customer's groceries lights up. This way, the consumer knows which order to grab.
The trial was held in the town of Woolwich, near London. Two more attendants were present in the vans during the trial, supervising the drive and explaining the method to customers.
Ocado is known for not shying away from automation. Under its Ocado Technology branch, the supermarket chain regularly tests new technologies with institutes and scientists. Earlier this year, Ocado had a robotic arm pick fruit and vegetables at its automated distribution centre in Hampshire. The robot looks like a bendable gripper with five fingers. Air pressure allows the hand to feel and grab the produce. Eventually, the robot will be connected to a recognition system, allowing the hand to recognise the product and decide what pressure to apply to it.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
