In a clear indication of the transformation going on across the world in the use of robots, a Singapore-based tech firm has begun a pilot program to deploy robots for home delivery of groceries in a part of the city. OTSAW Digital manufactured two robots dubbed Camello delivery robots and deployed them for the pilot run with their combined coverage of grocery supplies put at 700 households. The one-year pilot run was conceptualized as a possible solution to meeting a surge in demands of fundamental essentials at specific periods, which may mean that several households may be starved of vital supplies.
The robots were fitted with several gadgets and technology that enable them to remain thoroughly disinfected during their delivery sessions to users who would have pre-ordered their groceries via an app. The user is notified when the robots, both named Camello, are approaching their vicinity, and the goods are collected from a predefined collection point.
The robots can carry loads up to 20kg, work on weekdays and Saturdays, and it has become a spectacle for residents. In a statement by OTSAW Digital’s CEO, Ling Ting Ming, the robots use ultraviolet light to disinfect themselves after every trip.
The robots are currently being accompanied by the tech firm staff but are capable of autonomous activities. The residents of the part of the city serviced by the robots expressed varied feelings on their new “grocery delivery guys”. While some residents are thrilled by the delivery robots, others feel it may be too much for the elderly to cope with the technology.
The coronavirus pandemic has further revealed more applications of robots to carry out several conventional jobs of humans. Recently in Japan, robots were deployed to deliver COVID-19 test kits and collect samples of persons who wanted to test for the virus. A Swiss company also deployed a UV spraying robot to disinfect the interior of a passenger aircraft.
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(source)
