As the need for delivery services by suitcase-sized self-driving cars has been slowly growing, Yandex says
Russian tech giant Yandex has announced that it will start renting out its 130 delivery robots to other businesses next year, doubling the number of robots it has in its fleet.
The small car, which is called the Yandex, Rover can find delivery routes on city streets at a walking pace by itself. It can figure out where to go, stop for people or animals, and avoid things that are in its way. Because it has lidar (light detection and range), the robot can move with ease even when it’s dark outside.
A statement from the company says that Yandex is in talks with big grocery stores, coffee shops, and fast-food places. Yandex named hotels and shops, apartment buildings, creative hubs, and college sites as other potential customers. The company will offer technical help and warranty service as part of its deal.
“About 15 delivery robots are enough to bring food and groceries to 5,000 people who live in a residential area,” the statement says.
They started running in 2019 and can be seen in Moscow, the Tatarstan Republic’s Innopolis college town, the city of Murino in the Leningrad Region, and the resorts of Rosa Khutor and Krasnaya Polyana in Sochi.
Third-generation rovers, which came out in November 2021, are currently used for delivery services. Yandex released a new group of 50 third-generation robots in October. These robots deliver 87% of orders on time, within 8 to 12 minutes.