Published

Robotic Amazon Delivery Pods Get Calif. Test

Amazon.com says it will expand its tests of self-driving Scout mini-shuttles to Irvine, Calif.

Share

Amazon.com says it will expand its tests of self-driving Scout mini-shuttles to Irvine, Calif.

They began using the six-wheeled pods, which are about the size of a large portable ice chest, to deliver packages in Seattle earlier this year. The test units have been deployed along with a human attendant to make thousands of deliveries.

The assistants go along on deliveries to monitor the Scout’s performance, answer questions by neighbors and observe the interaction between the shuttle and humans.

In Irvine, the robots will be deployed Monday through Friday during daylight hours only, according to Amazon. The pods, which were designed by the company’s own engineers for use on sidewalks, can climb curbs and scale a building’s front steps.

RELATED CONTENT

  • Jeeps Modified for Moab

    On Easter morning in Moab, Utah, when the population of that exceedingly-hard-to-get-to town in one of the most beautiful settings on Earth has more than doubled, some people won’t be hunting for Easter eggs, but will be trying to get a good look at one of the vehicles six that Jeep has prepared for real-life, fast-feedback from the assembled at the annual Easter Jeep Safari.

  • On Fuel Cells, Battery Enclosures, and Lucid Air

    A skateboard for fuel cells, building a better battery enclosure, what ADAS does, a big engine for boats, the curious case of lean production, what drivers think, and why Lucid is remarkable

  • When Automated Production Turning is the Low-Cost Option

    For the right parts, or families of parts, an automated CNC turning cell is simply the least expensive way to produce high-quality parts. Here’s why.

Gardner Business Media - Strategic Business Solutions