A delivery robot tested among the crowds of central London is set to start being deployed in the capital.
The self-driving, battery-powered box on wheels is poised to undertake local delivery trials in Greenwich following 3,000 hours of testing.
The robots by Starship Technologies have been described as “ground drones” and were created by former Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis.
Their invention is expected to be popular at smaller local businesses, such as bakeries and corner shops, that could send out the robot containing goods in its tub body costing only a pound or two.
They are part of the €25 million EU Smart Cities project to test if new and unproven technologies to see if they can enhance people’s lives.
An on-board battery lasts for about two hours and the delivery range will be up to 30 minutes away base, guided by GPS using 3G signals.
They travel at up to 4mph and are programmed with software to help avoid obstacles and are CO2-free, apart from power used charging batteries.
The six-wheeled drone can “hop” up kerbs and over cobbles, plus sensors help it dodge people.
It also knows to wait if it is about to encounter a large group so they can pass.
The “cargo bay” is locked throughout the journey and can only be opened by the recipient via their smarthphone.
If troublemakers think of damaging the robot, it features nine cameras to capture their face, plus a microphone and speaker to warn them off.
The company is also looking in the future at using drones to police their robot workforce.
An operator can take over control remotely if the robot gets into trouble.
The company says they hope to replace the need to shopping trips, which is currently the purpose of one third of British car journeys.
Speaking to the Standard at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Allan Martinson, chief operating officer of Starship Technologies said: “We went to the South Bank on a Saturday, near to the London Eye, where it is crowded are lots of tourists and we didn’t have any problems with pedestrians or cyclists.”
Keith Cornell, the firm’s senior advisor, said: “It weighs 20lbs and is able to hold 20lbs worth of goods.
“It can’t hold a flatscreen TV but it holds three bags of groceries or two pairs of shoes.
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“When you request a delivery, rather than get a text saying you will get it between these hours, you call it up, you see a map of it coming to you, it alerts you when it gets there and you then push the button that unlocks it.
“You take out your goods, put the top back down and away it goes.
“We’re waiting to start the tests and show it actually working in a populated area.
“We want to get public acceptance and show that it works.
“It’s not obtrusive and it’s not scary, most people say it’s cute.”
