Bolt, an Estonian ride-hailing and food delivery business, has partnered with Starship Technologies to employ autonomous robots to revolutionize food delivery. Starting this year, the cooperation plans to use thousands of robots to transport food in several nations.
With its fleet of over 2,000 robots in Estonia, the UK, and the US, Starship Technologies has successfully made 5 million commercial deliveries. Starship obtains access to Bolt's 100 million customers in 45 countries and 500 cities by partnering with Bolt, according to Reuters.
Bolt anticipates that incorporating robot delivery into its business would increase profitability for each delivery while providing a more effective and affordable option. The agreement represents a significant turning point in the wide-scale commercial use of robotic technologies.
Starship Technologies, founded in 2014 by former Skype co-founders, first tested its self-driving delivery robots in London. Since then, over 50 service locations have used their six-wheel robots to transport meals, groceries, and small goods.
We're thrilled to share Starship and Bolt have partnered up!
— Starship Technologies (@StarshipRobots) June 21, 2023
This year, thousands of Starship Robots will deliver @Boltapp food orders across multiple countries - offering greener, more efficient deliveries to millions of new users across the globe.https://t.co/0RJKXiRn4L pic.twitter.com/G16RCeqYZD
How Does Robot Food Delivery Service Work?
Customers will have a smooth delivery experience akin to placing a restaurant order using a smartphone app. The Bolt-Starship collaboration lets consumers press a button to order food or supplies from robots. When you get there, you may access the stuff by pressing a button on the robot.
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In the following months, Bolt intends to start making robot deliveries in Tallinn, with ambitions to expand into other markets later, according to CNBC.
Starship Technologies, with headquarters in San Francisco, already has a presence in the US and works with meal delivery service Grubhub to target predominantly college students. The British grocery chain Co-op has also partnered with the firm.
Starship is one of several businesses aggressively examining the possibilities of robots for food and product delivery, having attracted around $200 million in investment.
7-Eleven Tries Robot Delivery in South Korea
In another development, 7-Eleven has begun a robot delivery service test in South Korea.
7-Eleven is working with the South Korean firm Neubility to evaluate the efficacy of robotic delivery in practical situations, UPI reported. The pilot will continue through October at two Seoul convenience shops, allowing consumers to order from local restaurants and retailers for home delivery.
The robots used by 7-Eleven and Neubility have self-driving capabilities and cutting-edge sensors, enabling them to traverse urban surroundings and get around obstructions effectively. When the robot gets close to the location, customers will get alerts on their smart devices, enabling them to pick up their orders quickly.
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