DPD has start trialling parcel deliveries in Milton Keynes using autonomous robots.
The DPD-branded robots are designed to use AI to learn the route ahead of time before dispatching to make their deliveries.
The trial is in partnership with last-mile delivery company Cartken and will operate using Milton Keynes’ traffic-free Redway network to reach residential neighbourhoods.
Parcel recipients in Shenley Church End and Shenley Lodge will be notified of a robot delivery in advance and, once they confirm they are at home, the robot will be sent to the address. The robot’s journey can be followed using a live map.
The user will then be issued a code to unlock the parcel compartment upon arrival. Once closed, the robot will return to the DPD depot for its next delivery.
Elaine Kerr, DPD UK CEO, said: “This is a really important trial for us. We want to understand the role that delivery robots could play in certain locations in the UK.
“They are a sustainable solution, and we genuinely want to find out if they could help us take vans off the road in future.
“The public’s response to our EV fleet has been amazing, so I am confident these smart robots will be embraced by customers as part of the way forward.
“Realistically, we aren’t going to be completely replacing our delivery drivers anytime soon… but at DPD we’ve always led the way on innovation and investment in our network and this is the next logical step in terms of evolving delivery solutions and working towards our aim of being the UK’s most sustainable delivery company.”
If the trial is successful, DPD intends to use the solution throughout the city, which could support the removal of some conventional delivery vans from the road network.
The trial is one of several recent climate-conscious initiatives from DPD. The firm plans to have over 3,000 EVs on UK roads by the end of 2022 and 5,000 by 2023, when it plans to deliver to 30 towns and cities using all-electric vehicles.
