Parcel delivery company DPD has announced that it will be expanding its last-mile robot delivery operation to 10 UK towns and cities in the next 12 months, following an initial trial in Milton Keynes.
The last-mile delivery bots were introduced in Milton Keynes in July 2022 and have reportedly performed more than 2,500 trips to date.
The next location to see the bots deployed will be Raunds, also in Northamptonshire. The robots will be based out of DPD’s depot in Warth Park, and will deliver to nearby residential areas.
The size and battery life of the robots has also been expanded, according to DPD, with the robots now coming equipped with three different parcel compartments and a 12-hour battery life.
What’s more, robots will only be dispatched once receiving a notification that the recipient is at home. The customer can then track the bots progress via a map and unlock the compartment with a unique code.
The parcel courier worked with North Northamptonshire Council to introduce the robots to Raunds, with autonomous robot delivery specialist Cartken supplying the machines.
Cllr Graham Lawman, executive member for highways, travel and assets, North Northamptonshire Council, said: “We are delighted that DPD is introducing delivery robots in Raunds. The council is committed to the environment and supporting clean and green alternatives to traditional forms of transport to reduce emissions.
“It is great to be able to help bring this innovation to North Northamptonshire.”
DPD has identified another 30 potential sites where robots could be deployed, according to a company statement.
Deliveries are powered through the robots’ level 4 autonomy and micro-autonomous-vehicle (AV) technology platform, which was developed to enable full autonomy on footpaths through use of cameras.
