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posted by martyb on Thursday February 28 2019, @02:39AM   Printer-friendly
from the what's-the-carbon-footprint? dept.

Robots may soon make your FedEx delivery from Walmart, Target and Pizza Hut

The robotic contraption rolling down the street just might be delivering a FedEx package to your home or office. That's the vision, anyway, behind the FedEx SameDay Bot that the shipping giant unveiled Wednesday. This sub-200-pound autonomous delivery robot was developed by DEKA Development & Research Corp, whose founder is Segway inventor Dean Kamen.

The SameDay Bot is so-named because its mission is to help retailers make same-day, "last mile" deliveries to local customers. FedEx is collaborating with AutoZone, Lowe's, Pizza Hut, Target, Walgreens and Walmart.

FedEx plans to test the bot this summer in select markets and FedEx Office locations, starting in the company's own Memphis hometown, pending final approval by the city. That approval would appear to be likely since it has the backing of Mayor Jim Strickland.

According to FedEx, on average, more than 60 percent of merchants' customers live within three miles of a store location, demonstrating the opportunity for on-demand, hyper-local delivery.

BTW, where's my breakfast? (Pizza in bed, please.)

Also at The Verge and Engadget.

Related: Domino's Trials Pizza Delivery Robot With 12-Mile Range
Self-Driving Robot Might be Future of Home Delivery
Delivery Robots: a Revolutionary Step or Sidewalk-Clogging Nightmare?
San Francisco May Ban Delivery Robots
Kroger Launches Trial of Same-Day Autonomous Grocery Delivery Service in Scottsdale, Arizona


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  • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday February 28 2019, @12:10PM (1 child)

    by The Mighty Buzzard (18) Subscriber Badge <themightybuzzard@proton.me> on Thursday February 28 2019, @12:10PM (#808067) Homepage Journal

    I'd be greatly surprised if it isn't distracting enough to make people stop texting long enough to look.

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  • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday February 28 2019, @03:57PM

    by Freeman (732) on Thursday February 28 2019, @03:57PM (#808162) Journal

    Maybe, the first time or two. I was stopping by someplace on my way to work today and there was a pedestrian crossing the parking lot. They literally never looked up from their phone. No matter that multiple cars were driving around them. Their eyes were glued to the screen, apparently, their brain was too.

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    Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"