Robot-based delivery company Coco and DriveU.auto, a developer of a software-based connectivity platform for robots and autonomous vehicle teleoperation, have announced that DriveU’s platform has been deployed in Coco’s already-operational fleet and will be deployed with the new Coco 1 robots.
The software solution is designed to integrate into the existing robot platform to provide high-quality video with low latency. The collaboration added a key component in the solution is the cloud-based architecture, which enables scaling up to a large number of robots.
Coco is currently rolling out its next-generation Coco 1 robots to serve local merchants in multiple US cities. With its increased carrying capacity, the Coco 1 is designed to deliver larger orders for a wider range of merchants, further eliminating the need for car-based delivery.
DriveU added its connectivity platform is enabling the remote operation of Coco’s delivery robot fleet, securing a superior customer experience. The Coco robots are now being operated by skilled remote drivers, controlling the robots using DriveU’s software-based connectivity platform.
The communication between the moving robots and the remote operator is done via public cellular networks, which can be unstable and unpredictable. For the remote operation to be safe and effective, consistent high-quality video connectivity with low latency is required.
When connectivity isn’t stable, video quality suffers and latency increases, which is unacceptable while remotely operating, the partnership said.
DriveU’s software-based connectivity platform has been in use by autonomous vehicles’ developers, OEMs, Tier 1s, developers of delivery robots in multiple geographies and use cases. DriveU is now deploying its platform on Coco’s growing robot fleet, to ensure superior and reliable delivery for a continuously growing number of merchants.
“Integrating a superior connectivity solution on delivery robots dictates extremely demanding power and compute parameters,” said Sahil Sharma, COO of Coco.
“Having evaluated the industry leaders in this space, we found DriveU’s solution to be the strongest match for our growth plans and aggressive delivery schedules. We look forward to growing this partnership as Coco’s growth accelerates and our footprint scales.”
