AWARD YEAR
2017
CATEGORY
Work
GOALS
Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
KEYWORDS
robot technology , delivery
COUNTRY
Estonia
DESIGNED BY
Ahti Heinla and the Starship technology team
WEBSITE
https://www.starship.xyz/
Starship's deliver robot
delivery bot that rides on sidewalks
Starship's robots are said to be "99-percent" autonomous, which means that although they'll drive themselves, human oversight will be present at all times, ready to take control if the robot gets confused. The goods inside Starship's "cargo bay" are securely locked while it's making deliveries, and can only be opened with the recipient's mobile phone. We assume that's through a specific application, as you'll also be able to track the robot's progress as it makes your delivery. ecause of the slow speed and limited range, there would need to be a number of Starship hubs in any given city -- each hub could only serve a few miles. "Our vision revolves around three zeroes," says Ahti Heinla, CEO at Starship Technologies, "zero cost, zero waiting time, and zero environmental impact." The rovers are electric, so they're only technically as environmentally friendly as the power grid they charge from, but they're undoubtably more friendly than traditional delivery vans and bikes.