Surrey, British Columbia – InDro Robotics deployed ROLL-E 2.0 so the robot was delivered to a London Drugs customer in Cloverdale on September 9th. This was the second phase of a pilot project in which the retailer uses his InDro Robotics ground robot to deliver his London Drugs online orders to consumers. The deployment will be under the City of Surrey’s Urban Technology Test Lab (UTT) pilot program to accelerate the innovative project towards commercialization.
Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum said: “Without the opportunity to field test in a real environment, many of the products could not have made it into final development. Exciting to see. The future really lives here in the city of Surrey. “
On September 9, 2022, Indro Robotics piloted the deployment of a robotic delivery device inside a private/commercial car park in the City of Surrey under the UTTL program approved by the Council in September 2021 . InDro Robotics was the first to receive a permit under this new program. In the Surrey demonstration, a four-wheel device installed in the parking lot of the Cloverdale Crossing Mall at 17685 64 Avenue was delivered to a moving home along sidewalks and pedestrian routes.
InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece said: “This has taken things further, both literally and figuratively. London Drugs and the City of Surrey are really ahead as delivery robots will one day become commonplace.”
The ROLL-E 2.0 works at a walking pace and safely transports goods in sealed compartments that open upon arrival at their destination. The robot has a high entry protection rating so it can be operated even in bad weather. It can carry up to 50kg. ROLL-E 2.0 is custom designed for human-robot interaction and features running lights, brake lights and traffic lights. It also features front and rear depth-aware cameras and an interactive touchscreen for enhanced obstacle avoidance.
Robotic devices are expected to play a key role in “last mile” deliveries, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and having a lower impact on traffic than traditional delivery vans, enabling these functionality may be realized.
“After the successful pilot debut of ROLL-E earlier this year, we are excited to further explore its capabilities as we work with InDro Robotics and the City of Surrey to test home delivery solutions.” “This is an important step for us as we seek innovative ways to serve our customers in the most secure and convenient way.”
UTTL was born after the City of Surrey participated in Infrastructure Canada’s Smart City Challenge in 2019. One of the key takeaways from the Smart City Challenge was that technology companies in the process of developing software and hardware frequently lack a field test platform. The City of Surrey has entertained other applications, ranging from an autonomous shuttle project with the University of Alberta and his SFU to creating an aerial drone testing project UTTL in partnership with Stratus Aeronautics, including temperature testing.
You can read more about UTTL here.