Fedex and Nuro have announced a multi-year, multi-phase agreement to test Nuro’s next-generation autonomous delivery vehicle within FedEx operations. The collaboration between FedEx and Nuro launched in April with a pilot program across the Houston area, where the R2 bots have been delivering pizzas for the last few months. This constitutes Nuro’s first foray into parcel logistics, its former partners were grocers and pharmacists, as well as Fedex’s first attempt to deliver same day, local packages, by road and without transiting through a warehouse. According to TechCrunch, Fedex also been testing its own delivery robot, the “SameDay Bot” nicknamed Roxo, which was developed in collaboration with DEKA Development & Research Corp and delivers packages by driving on the curb rather than on the road. Fedex was planning to use Roxo with partners AutoZone, Lowe’s, Pizza Hut, Target, Walgreens so it stands to reason that the R2, a bigger vehicle with an extended range compared to Roxo, might carry a broad variety of packages and possibly even multiply quickly. “FedEx was built on innovation, and it continues to be an integral part of our culture and business strategy,” said Rebecca Yeung, VP advanced technology and innovation, FedEx Corporation. “We are excited to collaborate with an industry leader like Nuro as we continue to explore the use of autonomous technologies within our operations.”
Photo ©FedEx-Nuro
