Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) is piloting robotic delivery technology at Alton Towers theme park in the UK, as part of its Ventures innovation investment fund.
CCEP Ventures is working with autonomous driving company TeleRetail to test the technology in a unique, high-traffic location.
During the trial, the robot will collect products from Alton Towers’ distribution centre and deliver them to drinks outlets across the park. It uses AI-enabled GPS technology, satellite images, as well as sight, sound, motion and laser sensors to judge distances and navigate around people and objects.
The Aito technology underpinning the robot, which travels at 3mph (5km/h) and distances of up to 31 miles (50km), was developed by TeleRetail with the support of the European Space Agency to help fulfil the growing need for effective logistics solutions.
This is one of three pilots taking place in industrial, retail and pedestrian environments to capture data and improve the quality of the software.
Neil Crittenden, commercial director at Alton Towers, said: “Our business has been built on innovation so we’re thrilled to be hosting this trial. If the trial is successful, there are many potential applications for this technology at Alton Towers.
“Who knows, in the future guests may be able to order drinks from the queue line to be delivered by robots when they finish a ride, or we could see automated room service deliveries across our 700 hotel rooms. The possibilities are huge.”
According to CCEP Ventures, in the future, the software, which is also being developed for use in higher-speed applications, could be used on different sized vehicles to solve a range of delivery problems. If successful, the trial could change the way CCEP delivers products to its customers.
