Delivery robots are popping up on college campuses across the United States, but the journey behind the Kiwibots currently operating on the campus of the University of Denver (DU) ironically enough did not begin on U.S. pavement.
Initially launched as a human-based food delivery company in Bogotá, Colombia, the first iteration of Kiwibot as a company was sold, which led to the team behind Kiwibot wanting to replicate its model where students could conduct deliveries for other students in the United States. The team found out, however, that the cost structure was not replicable from Latin America to the U.S., according to David Rodríguez, Kiwibot’s head of business.
“This was the point we decided we needed to start building robots,” Rodríguez tells AUVSI.
Pilot Projects
Pilot Projects
City of Fremont, California, Pony.ai launch autonomous vehicle pilot program for city employees
On Monday, Feb. 24, the City of Fremont, California and Pony.ai launched a pilot program that uses Pony.ai’s shared, on-demand, autonomous last-mile service to provide rides for a group of City employees.
Participating employees will be transported from Fremont’s Amtrak/ACE Station to City Hall and City of Fremont Development Services Center via Pony.ai’s autonomous vehicles, which have a safety operator present in each vehicle to ensure safe and smooth navigation of complex road scenarios.
Each vehicle is equipped with Pony.ai’s full-stack autonomous driving technology, which serves as the “brains” of the vehicle. The technology is also expected to serve as a building block to the future Smart City, the entities say.
Spatial Integrated Systems to demonstrate autonomous USV to examine feasibility of improving Maritime Domain Awareness
After being awarded a contract with the US Coast Guard (USCG), Spatial Integrated Systems Inc. (SIS) will demonstrate an autonomous USV to examine the feasibility of improving Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in the remote Pacific Ocean.
Based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, SIS has partnered with MetalCraft Marine U.S. and Honolulu, Hawaii’s Navatek, resulting in the combination of the SIS Multi-Agent Robotic Teams (SMART) Autonomy System and the MetalCraft 7m Interceptor Boat for commercial sale as an “intelligent, goal-oriented” autonomous USV.
Outrider emerges from stealth, deploys autonomous technology to distribution yards
After operating in stealth-mode for two years, Outrider, a developer of autonomous yard operations for logistics hubs, has emerged from stealth with the announcement that it has raised $53 million in funding, after seed and series A funding rounds led by NEA and 8VC, respectively.
Based in Golden, Colorado, Outrider has also deployed what it describes as the “first-to-market solution” that focuses on autonomous yard operations for logistics hubs, the Outrider System.
According to Outrider, the goal of distribution yards is to keep semi-trailers full of freight moving quickly in the space between the warehouse doors and public roads, but a lot of these processes that make up yard operations are manual, inefficient, and hazardous, the company says.
Robotic Research supports launch of international deployments of Local Motors' Olli autonomous shuttle
Robotic Research LLC has announced that its team recently supported the launch of two new international deployments of Local Motors’ Olli autonomous shuttle.
Both deployments support campus-based pilot programs, including at the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO) in Turin, Italy, and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia.
Self-driving shuttles to connect residents to community resources in Linden neighborhood of Columbus
A one-year self-driving shuttle pilot program is set to launch in Columbus, Ohio.
Known as the Linden LEAP (Linden Empowers All People), the pilot program, which is being funded by Columbus’ win of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge, will service destinations around the South Linden neighborhood of Columbus from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, with stops in service during school arrival and dismissal times.
Linden LEAP is being described as the nation’s first public self-driving shuttle in a residential area.
Autonomous vehicle pilot program set to launch in Peoria, Arizona in late February
Peoria, Arizona’s city council has approved the funding for a 60-day autonomous vehicle pilot program with Beep, an autonomous mobility technologies company based in Florida.
The program will result in Arizona’s first shared-ride, autonomous shuttle operating on a public street.
“This transportation pilot is a unique experiment for our community,” says Mayor Cathy Carlat.
“We see this as an important step as we seek to understand some of the innovative solutions that exist around the world, and how they bring value to Peoria residents.”
UK's Maritime & Coastguard Agency to explore how UAS can help make lifesaving missions safer
A new project in the United Kingdom will explore if UAS could “boost missions” by visiting rescue sites ahead of air, sea or land based recovery teams, and provide a full picture of the situation to help develop the appropriate response.
The project, which was announced by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), will also examine how current regulation can be developed to unlock the potential of UAS, and help those in distress on the UK’s coastline by making rescues safer and more efficient.
Autonomous shuttle begins offering test rides between downtown Gainesville and UF campus
An autonomous shuttle began operating between downtown Gainesville and the University of Florida (UF) campus on Monday, Feb. 3.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) funded the shuttle, and the City of Gainesville’s Regional Transit System (RTS) is operating it.
The pilot project is part of a real-world testbed called I-STREET. The testbed offers unique opportunities to test transportation technologies, and allows for the development and deployment of innovative research throughout the city and the UF roadway network. The testbed is a result of a partnership between the University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI), FDOT, and the City of Gainesville.
Wisk, New Zealand Government announce passenger transport trial featuring self-flying air taxi
Urban Air Mobility (UAM) company Wisk is partnering with the New Zealand Government to establish a passenger transport trial in Canterbury, New Zealand utilizing Cora, Wisk’s self-flying, all-electric air taxi.
“We are delighted to now have a signed agreement with the New Zealand Government, which will propel Cora’s entry to the air taxi market,” says Wisk CEO, Gary Gysin.
“We see this agreement as a sign of confidence in our product and abilities to develop and deliver a safe and reliable air taxi service, starting in New Zealand.”
