Russian company develops suitcase-sized delivery bots
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Yandex is piloting its own version of autonomous vehicles for deliveries across its online services
Spotted: Russia’s Yandex has announced the launch of an autonomous vehicle to be used in the future for unmanned deliveries. The suitcase-sized bot is currently being piloted in Moscow, at Yandex’s main headquarters and auxiliary offices.
The bot, Yandex.Rover, operates autonomously. For the pilot period, however, the company is keeping the bots under remote supervision. The Yandex.Rover can recognise objects, plan its route and stop for obstacles – including pedestrians.
Yandex.Rover uses lidar, a technology that allows it to calculate distances and travel in the dark. Lidar operates on a formula that determines distance by shooting out a beam of light and measuring the time it takes to return.
Eventually, the bot will be used for deliveries across Yandex’s services, including food deliveries.