Estonian technology company Cleveron has unveiled its new semi-autonomous last-mile delivery vehicle.
The Cleveron 701 has been designed for retailers and logistics companies who are working to adapt to the recent acceleration of e-commerce and meet growing demand for same-day delivery.
Arno Kütt, CEO, Cleveron, said: “We are used to building robots where you can go and pick up your parcel within seconds. The future is still click-and-collect, but we wanted to expand even further.
“The growth in online shopping has turned e-commerce into just commerce. It is a natural part of shopping. But the delivery times and costs still present a problem, especially with groceries.
“Consumers want speed and convenience, but it comes with a cost. With driverless delivery, you can cut the last-mile labour cost. There will also be fewer failed deliveries because the 701 can be deployed from local dark stores quickly.”
According to Cleveron, the 701 is able to drive in low traffic areas, such as suburbs, and can deliver within 15-30 minutes from a retailer, fulfilment centre or dark store.
The platform is supervised remotely as it delivers goods from a warehouse or store to nearby customers within an hour, enabling fast and convenient receipt of packages.
The driverless delivery solution also aims to decreases labour cost with one teleoperator able to supervise 10 vehicles at any one time.
Furthermore, the 701 has been designed to be an adaptable, semi-autonomous platform with suitable modifications and add-ons that enable it to serve different delivery needs.
For example, the robotic delivery vehicle can be fitted with temperature-controlled sections, turning it from a parcel delivery vehicle to a coffee or an ice cream truck.
Kütt added: “Since Cleveron received the first license in Europe to test drive an unmanned vehicle on the streets of Estonia last year without restrictions, we have been amazed at how easily Cleveron 701 has become an organic part of the city life.
“What’s more, consumers can get groceries, parcels, restaurant deliveries or even ice cream from an environmentally-friendly delivery robot.”
Cleveron is now scheduled to begin mass production of the 701 in 2023.
Read more: Cleveron pilots parcel handover robot for small stores
