Amazon unveileddelivery robot, Scout, in January 2019, but has been expanding slowly in recent years.
The first launch was in Snohomish County , Washington, and last August, a larger area was added to the delivery robot's list , Ivrine, California . Scout is now being tested in Atlanta, Georgia, and Franklin, Tennessee , according to Amazon's announcement.
It's unclear exactly how many robots are on the road and how many customers Scout is serving, but it appears the robots are very original and are being treated with due care for a company that has built its reputation on fast and reliable delivery.
Amazon says it has a “small number of delivery robots” operating in both Atlanta and Franklin, making deliveries “Monday through Friday, during the day.” The robots move autonomously but are accompanied by a human mind at all times, an “Amazon Scout Ambassador,” as the company calls them.
Delivery robots have become a rapidly growing arena in recent years, with a number of startups launching their own devices . Some robots are the size of a shopping cart, like the Amazon Scout, while others are more like small cars . With the Covid-19 pandemic , interest in the technology has surged again as companies look for ways to minimize human contact and demand for home deliveries increases.
Amazon says its delivery robot tests have continued during the pandemic, and have helped the company "meet increased customer demand by supplementing its delivery network."
However, while early tests of delivery robots may be promising, it is not yet clear whether the machines can handle the complexity of the real world. Navigating unobstructed sidewalks in the suburbs is easy enough, but dealing with all the hazards of a city street is much more difficult.
Despite the promise of AI to give its delivery robot the brains it needs to drive itself completely autonomously, Amazon still relies on human drivers who operate the machines remotely to make their deliveries.
