The days of only looking out for electric scooters will be far behind us in 2019…
Postmates is branching into a new realm with its plan to introduce autonomous delivery rovers to the sidewalks of Los Angeles! The infamous delivery service’s adorable Wall-E resembling robot is called Serve – the first of its kind! [Photo: Postmates]
The rovers are set to have two brightly lit eyes as well as a flashy yellow finish and ring on top which signals movement like a change in direction.
In a way, they look like the shopping cart of the future.
The robot can carry up to 50 pounds of product and can travel up to 30 miles in one charge! When Serve arrives at its final destination, all you have to do is use your phone or code to retrieve the order from a locked compartment. The motive is to reduce traffic is neighborhoods that tend to be congested.
You’re probably wondering: how will Serve protect itself from accidents and theft? The rovers use Velodyne Lidar (a self-driving program) and cameras to navigate safely among pedestrians and obstacles; additionally, a human operator will remain on standby to take over when necessary. They’re also built with security systems and advanced sensors to detect larceny.
Postmates is currently in the process of finalizing plans with the Mayor’s office and the City of Los Angeles. If all goes well, the service expects to bring Serve to various cities throughout the new year.