DPD and Cartken make autonomous delivery robots move in Milton Keynes
DPD is to commence autonomous robot deliveries in two Milton Keynes neighbourhoods, as part of a trial with Cartken.
The DPD branded robots, which will operate out of the firm's Knowlhill depot, will navigate the city's traffic-free Redway network to access the residential neighbourhoods of Shenley Church End and Shenley Lodge.
Powered by AI technology, the robots are currently ‘learning' the routes and will then be able to find their way to delivery addresses, fully autonomously.
Cartken's tech is currently being used by Mitsubishi Electric in Japan, and Grubhub in the United States.
DPD parcel recipients will be notified of a delivery in advance, and once they confirm that they are at home to accept the parcel, the robot will be dispatched.
Customers will be able to track the robot's progress on a map and will be notified when it reaches their property. They will then use a code to open a compartment and access their parcel. Once the compartment is closed, the robot will return to the depot for its next delivery.
If the trial is successful, DPD intends to extend the solution across the city.
Elaine Kerr, DPD UK CEO, comments: "This is a really important trial for us. We want to understand the role that delivery robots could play in certain locations in the UK.”
“They are a sustainable solution, and we genuinely want to find out if they could help us take vans off the road in future.”
“The technology is proven and with the DPD branding, they look fantastic. The public's response to our EV fleet has been amazing, so I am confident these smart robots will be embraced by customers as part of the way forward.
She adds: "Realistically, we aren't going to be completely replacing our delivery drivers anytime soon. And we wouldn't want to. The service they provide is fantastic”
“But we've always led the way on innovation and investment in our network and this is the next logical step in terms of evolving delivery solutions and working towards our aim of being the UK's most sustainable delivery company."
Cartken Co-Founder and COO, Anjali Jindal Naik, says: "We are excited to collaborate with DPD for parcel delivery in the UK market.”
“Our robots are designed to provide sustainable solutions that integrate into existing city infrastructure. We are thrilled to be a part of DPD's sustainability plan as they adopt more environmentally conscious solutions through the use of our delivery robots."
