The robots delivering food during coronavirus lockdown

A robot delivery service in Milton Keynes could help shape Britain’s locked-down future by using autonomous vehicles to hand out small packages of food to the residents of the town in Buckinghamshire in the UK.

The service is the brain-child of Starship Technologies, a delivery company created in 2014 by two former co-founders of Skype, who have been testing their robots in public since 2015.

The robots in question are the size of beer coolers, travel on six wheels and have provided food to nearly 200,000 people without the need for human interaction.

The company started the operation as a way of delivering food to those who need it while maintaining social distancing in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Residents of Milton Keynes can download an app to place small orders from supermarkets, who then pack the robots with bundles of food and drive it to them. It is the first commercial deployment of its kind.

Milton Keynes’ mayor Sam Crooks said this action appeals to the relatively young demographic of his ward and prevents people from having to go outside during the lockdown.

He said: “People are taking the guidance about not going out seriously and these kinds of initiatives are ideal to allow people to obtain necessities without having to leave the house.

“The company’s first partnerships were with the Co-op and Tesco which can make it particularly handy for some people.”

The head of Starship Technologies UK operation Andy Curtis said they have seen a huge surge in demand since they started operating in Milton Keynes two years ago.

He said: “We’re excited that both residents and workers can enjoy this low-cost and incredibly convenient service here in Milton Keynes, and we hope that it will make the town an even more attractive place to live.”

Innovations such that these are not uncommon within the current global climate and many companies across the world are adapting their services to meet the demand for various services during the lockdown.

Many companies must adapt to the situation or they face going under during the lockdown, with flexibility being key to the changing markets and events.

Starship hopes to expand across the UK and into the US. A spokesperson for the firm said they have had multiple companies, including grocery stores, restaurants and other delivery companies inquiring about partnerships.

They said: “We’ve had a decent mileage from the robots with over 100,000 deliveries, over 500,000 miles travelled and over 5 million road crossings around the world.

“We’re doing everything we can to keep our customers and employees safe. Our sanitation techniques are being constantly reviewed by experts and we are constantly following their guidance and operating procedures to ensure safety and convenience for everyone.”

Back to Homepage

Back to Technology & Innovation

Back to Consumer Goods