REV-1 (robot supplier)

2019: Release

At the end of December, 2019 the Refraction AI company released the pilotless REV-1 robot who is equipped with wheels on winter rubber and which delivers food and drinks to the house from restaurants.

The startup of Refraction AI was based by professors of robotics from the University of Michigan. Therefore within a pilot project the three-wheeled robot was started in the closest town of the State of Michigan, Ann-Arbor. The device 1.5 meters high, 1.3 meters long and 75 cm wide easily moves on bicycle tracks, gathering speed to 25 km/h. For orientation in space the REV-1 robot uses 12 cameras and a number of radar and ultrasonic sensors. In compartment REV-1 it is possible to place up to five packets with products or ready dishes, however so far robots transport no more than one order for time.

Refraction AI released the pilotless REV-1 robot who is equipped with wheels on winter rubber and which delivers food and drinks to the house from restaurants

The cofounder and the CEO of Refraction AI Mathew Johnson-Roberson said that main advantage of the new robot in his unpretentiousness and capability to work even in very bad weather conditions.

From the economic point of view it does not make sense to use a lidar worth $10,000 for delivery of food to the amount of $10 — Johnson-Roberson explained.

Having refused more expensive lidarny sensor, developers could save the total cost of the robot within $5000. Because of such restrictions the robot cannot move on sidewalks with pedestrians, however it also is not required to him, developers consider, bicycle tracks more than are enough.

By the end of December, 2019 robots deliver food in a limited zone from four local restaurants, but at a successful completion of pilot phase of the project robots all-terrain vehicles should appear in several cities at once. The order is transferred REV-1 through mobile application providing payment and tracking of delivery. The robot from the next vehicle fleet goes to restaurant where employees place the order in the main compartment. Clients receive the notification on arrival of the robot and can take away the order, having entered the unique code which will be received through the application right after the choice of a dish and a delivery mode.^[1]

Robotics

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