Segway Robotics, DriveU.Auto to Develop Last-Mile Delivery Robots
June 28, 2022
Segway-Ninebot, a developer of short-distance transportation and service robots, has announced a partnership with DriveU.auto, developer of a software-based connectivity platform for robots and autonomous vehicle teleoperation. The collaboration will see Segway integrating the DriveU.auto remote operation platform into its robots, creating a first-of-its-kind joint offering for the last-mile delivery robots market.
The smaller form factor, electrically powered and slower-moving robot is ideal for rapid, cost-efficient, safe and green deliveries within dense urban areas, Segway said. Such robots can be fully autonomous, semi-autonomous, or remotely driven by a human operator. The company said whatever the operational model of delivery robots becomes, having humans in the loop is imperative – whether for supervision, assisting an autonomous robot in edge cases, or to fully operate the delivery. DriveU.Auto said its connectivity platform provides a high quality, low-latency connectivity option required for safe teleoperation in all of these cases.
Remote operations rely on public cellular networks to communicate between a moving robot and remote operator, but they can be highly unstable and unpredictable. In order for remote operations to be safe and effective, consistent high quality video connectivity with low latency is required, the company added. DriveU.auto said its software-based connectivity platform supports both cloud and hybrid architectures, letting it support large-scale robot deployments. DriveU.auto said the software is already being used in U.S. and European deployment cases.
“We see delivery robots as a massive growth opportunity for Segway Robotics,” said Tony Ho, vice president of Segway Robotics. “We are happy to join forces with DriveU.auto, creating a compelling joint offering of the market’s ‘best of breed’ robotic platform and remote operations in a single fully integrated package, to enable rapid deployment by last-mile delivery companies around the globe.”
“Partnering with Segway Robotics is an important milestone for DriveU.auto as we continue our expansion into the delivery robot space,” said Alon Podhurst, CEO of DriveU.auto. “Segway Robotics and DriveU.auto’s joint offering is a compelling integrated product for last-mile delivery companies who wish to rapidly deploy services.”
For more details on DriveU.auto’s platform, visit its website here. To learn more about Segway Robotics, visit its website here.
