• News
  • Technology Features
  • Stock and Shares
  • Videos
  • Events
  • About This Site
  • Meet the Writers
  • Advertising
  • Email Newsletters
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Food and Farming TechnologyFood and Farming Technology
  • News
        • Aeroponics
        • Agricultural Drones
        • Agricultural Machinery
        • Animal Feed
        • Animal Health
        • Aquaculture
        • Artificial Intelligence
        • Autonomous Robots
        • Autonomous Vehicles
        • Biotechnology
        • Blockchain
        • Business
        • Controlled Environment Agriculture
        • Cultured Meat
        • Data & Analytics
        • Energy
        • Environment
        • Farming Equipment
        • Fertilisers
        • Food Delivery
        • Food Logistics
        • Food Manufacture
        • Food Packaging
        • Food Safety
        • GPS Tracking
        • Harvesting Technology
        • Ingredients
        • Hydroponics
        • Insect Farming
        • Internet of Things (IoT)
        • Livestock Monitoring
        • Microsensors
        • New Products
        • Pest Management
        • Plant Based Foods
        • Plant Health
        • Precision Agriculture
        • Protein
        • Robotics
        • Satellite Crop Monitoring
        • Soil Management
        • Sowing and Planting
        • Space Farming
        • Sustainability
        • Vertical Farming
  • Tech Features
  • Videos
  • Stocks & Shares
        • AGCO Corporation (AGCO)
        • Agronomics Limited
        • Alico, Inc. (ALCO)
        • Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN)
        • AppHarvest
        • Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM)
        • Bayer AG (BAYN.DE)
        • Beyond Meat, Inc. (BYND)
        • Bridgford Foods Corporation (BRID)
        • Bunge Limited (BG)
        • Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CVGW)
        • Calavo Growers, Inc. (CALM)
        • Caterpillar Inc. (CAT)
        • CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF)
        • CNH Industrial NV
        • Corteva Agriscience
        • Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)
        • Deere & Company (DE)
        • Eat Beyond Global
        • Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (FDP)
        • Krones AG (KRN.DE)
        • McCormick & Company, Incorporated (MKC)
        • McDonald’s Corporation (MCD)
        • Mondelez International, Inc. (MDLZ)
        • Nutrien Ltd. (NTR)
        • Origin Agritech Limited (SEED)
        • Real Good Food plc (RGD.L)
        • MeaTech 3D Ltd
        • S&W Seed Company (SANW)
        • Sanderson Farms, Inc. (SAFM)
        • Shineco, Inc. (TYHT)
        • SunOpta Inc. (STKL)
        • Sysco Corporation (SYY)
        • The Andersons, Inc. (ANDE)
        • The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC)
        • The Mosaic Company (MOS)
        • Tyson Foods, Inc.
        • YUM! Brands, Inc. (YUM)
        • Walmart Inc. (WMT)
  • Events
    • Virtual
    • North America
    • Europe
    • MENA
    • Asia
    • South America
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook
Food and Farming TechnologyFood and Farming Technology
Features

Contactless food delivery: Are robots the future?

Christine HortonBy Christine HortonMarch 27, 2020No Comments
Share
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Are these the droids you’re looking for? Starship’s robot fleet expands its delivery services as UK stays home

With most of us confined to our homes to help contain COVID-19, the topic of food delivery services – and the current overwhelming demand for them – has taken centre stage. But while many of us struggle to secure a supermarket delivery slot, many restaurants and cafes, which have been forced to close their doors to dine-in guests, are viewing delivery services as a potential lifeline for their business.

One company that is taking food delivery to another level is Starship Technologies, which uses robots to deliver lunches, dinners and snacks to customers. Now, the firm says, it is working “as quickly as possible” to expand its robot delivery service so it can help more people after requests from grocery stores, restaurants and even other delivery companies for help with deliveries.

“We can appreciate we’re all living in unprecedented times now, but we believe as a community we can work together to help each other and we’re honoured that our robots can be part of the solution,” a Starship spokesperson told Food & Farming Technologies.

“Our robots provide contactless deliveries. As people are spending more time at home at the moment, including the elderly and more vulnerable, they can get their food and groceries delivered straight to their door.”

Expanding its service

Using the Starship deliveries app, customers can order food and drink to be delivered from a range of local eateries and grocery shops, and once ordered, the robot’s entire journey and location can be monitored via smartphone. The robots can carry items within a 4-mile radius, and for security, the cargo bay is mechanically locked throughout the journey and can be opened only by the recipient on their app. The location of the robots is also tracked, so users know exactly the location of their order and receive a notification at the time of arrival.

Food and drink to be delivered from a range of local eateries and grocery shops
Food and drink to be delivered from a range of local eateries and grocery shops

For anyone worried about their food reaching them unscathed, the robots – which move at pedestrian speed and weigh no more than 100 pounds – have 10 cameras, ultrasound sensors, radar, and GPS to help detect and avoid any obstacles such as cars, pedestrians, traffic lights and pavements.

The service currently operates in five countries around the world and tens of cities. Last week, it expanded its service area in Milton Keynes for food and grocery deliveries to offer it to more than 180,000 additional people, and says it expects to expand into other cities across the UK soon.

Cost and environmental savings

Alongside tapping into a desire for ‘contactless’ delivery services, Starship points to additional benefits of using its robot fleet instead of traditional delivery methods.

For example the company, which was founded by two Skype co-founders, Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, withformer AirBnB executive Lex Bayer as its CEO, is keen to stress the cost and environmental savings from using battery-powered electric delivery robots as an alternative to cars or motorbikes.

Citing a report by Mckinsey which says the final leg of a delivery comprises up to 50 percent of a product’s total transportation cost, the Starship spokesperson says “Inefficient and unsustainable delivery is the main bottleneck in the growth of e-commerce. Traditional methods of last-mile delivery are complicated and expensive, but there are ways to make it work… Starship’s robots can dramatically reduce these end-to-end costs.”

Starship says that once the constraints around inefficiency and sustainability have been removed, the industry can grow and follow a more environmentally friendly route.

“According to the American Lung Association State of the Air 2017 report, transportation produces more than one quarter of the nation’s greenhouse gases that exacerbate climate change. The introduction of robots will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases stemming from delivery services,” it adds.

Using central Milton Keynes as an example, the firm says the traffic congestion rises above 85 percent of the road or junction’s capacity, and roads that lead into the town often see 100 percent or more of its capacity, according to Milton Keynes Council. The Starship electric-powered robot deliveries will help ease this congestion, it says.

Paying a premium

The company also believes that in the long run, the introduction of ‘on-demand’ delivery will change consumer behaviour.

“Almost 25 percent of consumers are willing to pay a premium for the privilege of same-day or instant delivery. This share is likely to increase and could open-up services [and] products for those in need,” says Starship’s spokesperson.

“People will now purchase an increase of items due to convenience, cost and speed. Americans are shifting consumption habits to brands centered on direct-to-consumer relationships. Distributors need nimble supply chains to serve consumer needs in real-time and Starship’s robots provide the perfect solution.”

The service has already received a thumbs up from locals; Mayor of Milton Keynes, Councillor Sam Crooks, says the robots have “become an iconic sight in the town”.

With the increasing demand for delivery services at odds with the public need to remain a safe distance from other human beings, there is now more of a chance that the future of food delivery may well be robotic.

Image source: Starship Technologies

Share. LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email
Christine Horton
  • LinkedIn

Christine writes about technology’s impact on business, and is a long-term contributor to specialist IT titles including Channel Pro and Microscope. She also writes for Raconteur and is regularly featured in The Times and Sunday Times.

Related Stories

Autonomous Vehicles

“The future of agriculture starts now” – John Deere launches autonomous 8R tractor

January 4, 2022
Cultured Meat

US$347 million for Future Meat as it breaks commercial viability cost barrier

December 20, 2021
Latest News

IGS and Eden Towers to build vertical farm in Perth, Australia

February 1, 2022

“The future of agriculture starts now” – John Deere launches autonomous 8R tractor

January 4, 2022

Elo Life Systems becomes independent food & agriculture business

December 22, 2021
In the Spotlight

Reducing methane emissions from cattle and dairy farming

November 15, 2021By Matt Peskett

At COP26 this month, 105 countries including the US, Canada and Brazil promised to reduce…



Upcoming Events
  1. Agritechnica Asia 2023

    May 25 @ 9:00 am - May 27 @ 5:00 pm
  2. Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit in June 2022 – New York

    June 23 @ 9:00 am - June 24 @ 5:00 pm
  3. iVT Expo

    June 29 - June 30
  4. World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit 2022 – London

    September 20 @ 9:00 am - September 21 @ 5:00 pm

View All Events

Site Information

About This Site
Advertising
Meet the Writers
Free Email Newsletters

LinkedIn Twitter Facebook
© 2021 Food & Farming Technology is owned by Firetop Ltd 4854392 | © Editorial images: stock.adobe.com | All rights reserved | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Analytics" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category .
elementorneverThis cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time.
PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
ab1 yearOwned by agkn, this cookie is used for targeting and advertising purposes.
CMID1 yearCasale Media sets this cookie to collect information on user behavior, for targeted advertising.
CMPRO3 monthsCMPRO cookie is set by CasaleMedia for anonymous user tracking, and for targeted advertising.
CMPS3 monthsCMPS cookie is set by CasaleMedia for anonymous user tracking based on user's website visits, for displaying targeted ads.
CMST1 dayCasale Media sets this cookie to collect information on user behavior, for targeted advertising.
DSID1 hourThis cookie is set by DoubleClick to note the user's specific user identity. It contains a hashed/encrypted unique ID.
id1 year 1 monthSet by Google DoubleClick, this cookie is used to create user profiles to display relevant ads.
IDE1 year 24 daysGoogle DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile.
KADUSERCOOKIE3 monthsThe cookie, set by PubMatic, registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device across websites that use the same ad network. The ID is used for targeted ads.
KTPCACOOKIE1 dayThe cookie, set by PubMatic, registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device across websites that use the same ad network. The ID is used for targeted ads.
mc1 year 1 monthQuantserve sets the mc cookie to anonymously track user behaviour on the website.
mdata1 year 1 monthThis cookie is used by Media Innovation group and registers a unique ID to identify a visitor on their revisit, in order to show them relevant ads.
OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
OAID1 yearCookie set to record whether the user has opted out of the collection of information by the AdsWizz Service Cookies.
ov1 year 1 monthThis cookie is set by the provider mookie1.com. This cookie is used for serving the user with relevant content and advertisement.
pxrc2 monthsThis cookie is set by pippio to provide users with relevant advertisements and limit the number of ads displayed.
rlas31 yearRLCDN sets this cookie to provide users with relevant advertisements and limit the number of ads displayed.
test_cookie15 minutesThe test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
uuid3 monthsMediaMath sets this cookie to avoid the same ads from being shown repeatedly and for relevant advertising.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
__gads1 year 24 daysThe __gads cookie, set by Google, is stored under DoubleClick domain and tracks the number of times users see an advert, measures the success of the campaign and calculates its revenue. This cookie can only be read from the domain they are set on and will not track any data while browsing through other sites.
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_154262053_11 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
u1 yearThis cookie is used by Bombora to collect information that is used either in aggregate form, to help understand how websites are being used or how effective marketing campaigns are, or to help customize the websites for visitors.
uid1 year 1 monthThis is a Google UserID cookie that tracks users across various website segments.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
GoogleAdServingTestsessionNo description
ppwp_wp_session30 minutesNo description
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
CookieDurationDescription
na_id1 year 1 monthThe na_id is set by AddThis to enable sharing of links on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
na_rn1 monthThe na_rn cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
na_sc_e1 monthThe na_sc_e cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
na_sr1 monthThe na_sr cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
na_srp1 minuteThe na_srp cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
na_tc1 year 1 monthThe na_tc cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
ouid1 year 1 monthAssociated with the AddThis widget, this cookie helps users to share content across various networking and sharing forums.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
CookieDurationDescription
d3 monthsQuantserve sets this cookie to anonymously track information on how visitors use the website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo