Starship

Starship uses a fleet of self-developed autonomous mobile robots to deliver goods within 15-30 minutes at a distance of up to 4.5 km. Robots make all decisions on their own, but at the same time are monitored by human operators who, if necessary, can seize control. Starship has launched pilot delivery programs in,, USA, and Great Britain Germany Switzerland Estonia with partners such as Just Eat, Hermes, Metro Group, Swiss Post and Wolt, offering robo-delivery of food, parcels and mass-demand goods to customers.

In total, 75 robots developed by the company traveled over 25 thousand km in 16 countries and 59 cities; along the way, more than 3 million people saw robots in action. Not so long ago, pilots began in Washington, the US capital, and Redwood City (Silicon Valley). Starship was founded in London in July 2014 by two Skype creators - Janus Friis and Ahti Heinla.

The prototype of Starship was the "search robot for taking soil samples," which Heinl developed in 2013, participating in a NASA competition. The idea of ​ ​ using such a device in the delivery industry came by itself. Such a robot, according to Heinl and his Skype partner Janus Friis, will blow up this service sector.

2023: Robot courier attacks Brit and his dogs

In mid-June 2023, a robot courier from Starship Technologies attacked a Briton and his dog, and the incident itself occurred in the British city of Milton Keynes.

Brian Dawson, 56, was walking his dog Pippa when he was suddenly attacked by a robot courier delivering groceries from a Co-op supermarket. The robot first crashed into his dog before hitting his leg on purpose, Dawson said. The man kicked the robot in response, but a robot courier from Starship Technologies attacked it again, despite initially being programmed to avoid any collisions.

Robot courier from Starship Technologies attacked a Briton and his dog

Brian Dawson took the dog to safety and returned to remember the robot's serial number and QR code. However, the robot courier again moved the man's leg. The robot courier's sensors didn't work at all, Dawson said. The man even thought that this was a human operator specifically trying to lose his temper.

The victim put the robot on its side to stop it, but this triggered an alarm, so the man put the robot back on the wheels. After that, the robot courier quickly tried to hide in the Co-op supermarket. The robot courier from Starship Technologies has been operating in Milton Keynes since 2018 and usually does not cause problems. A Co-op spokesman said it was an isolated case and asked Dawson for an apology.

Initially, the Briton did not have serious evidence in his hands, but a neighbor on the street shared video of the incident with Brian Dawson. According to Dawson, the neighbor had a "smart home" system installed, and the doorbell camera captured the showdown with the robot courier.

Starship Technologies, which was founded in 2014 by the co-founders of Skype and operates thousands of courier robots around the world, also expressed its regret over the incident. The company said that Starship Technologies takes the safety of its deliveries very seriously and this case will be investigated by the company's engineers.^[1]

2020: Dozens of robot couriers deliver hundreds of thousands of orders in Britain

By the end of April 2020, hundreds of thousands of orders in Britain began to be delivered by courier robots.

In the English city of Milton Keynes, a whole fleet of robots delivers purchases. They reach the height of an adult's knee and look like smooth white plastic boxes on six black wheels. In Milton Keynes, they have long become a familiar sight, as they have been delivering food for more than two years, but with the advent of the pandemic, their popularity has grown incredibly.

By the end of April 2020, hundreds of thousands of orders in Britain began to be delivered by courier robots

Since March 23, 2020, the British government has introduced strict social distancing measures, and courier robots have received more orders than ever: now they not only deliver purchases to the public, but also serve as free couriers for employees of the National Health Service (NHS).

We offer free delivery to all NHS workers because we want to make life a little easier for them in these very, very stressful times, "explained Henry Harris-Burland, vice president of Starship, a maker of courier robots. "A lot of them just don't have time to go to their local grocery store, so they use our robots to shop."

Starship robots are equipped with a small red flag to make them easier to see on the road. At the same time, they are large enough to accommodate several shopping bags, as well as bottle packaging. In April, Starship doubled its fleet of robot couriers in Milton Keynes to 70 devices. Harris-Berland reported that they had already secured 100,000 autonomous supplies within the city.

Many residents have reached out to us online to get their shopping to the suburbs. We are now doing everything we can to expand our fleet as quickly as possible and deliver these services across a wider area.[2]

2018: Stop testing robots in San Francisco after ban

In May 2018, the British company Starship Technologies stopped testing courier robots in San Francisco after their ban by the city authorities.

The rapid development of commercial robotics has led to the growing proliferation of wheeled robots to transport cargo around the city over short distances. This automated technique, in particular, is used to deliver sushi, pizza and just products from the store.

San Francisco bans courier robots over citizen complaints

As a rule, such electronic devices are not full-fledged vehicles from the point of view of the law, therefore they can freely move along the sidewalks. However, sometimes such robots can cause discomfort to pedestrians, especially in crowded places or on narrow streets. Thus, opponents of AI couriers in San Francisco point out that such machines can pose a danger to children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

As a result, the San Francisco administration decided to remove the robots from the sidewalks. They were allowed to travel only in industrial zones and reach speeds of no more than 5 km/h. Moreover, the movement of the device must be constantly monitored by a person who, in case of an unforeseen situation, will have to intervene in the control. It is noted that the new rules have become the strictest in this area in the United States.

Sidewalks should not belong to cars that interfere with passers-by and take jobs from people, says Lorraine Petty, a spokesman for the city administration.

After delivery robots were removed from crowded streets and most San Francisco roads, Starship completely stopped testing this equipment in the city and have no plans to resume testing. The company continues to test its robots in some other American cities as well as Europe.

2017

Estonia legalized Starship courier robots

The integration of machines into delivery services will help companies save about 40% of costs. The production of robotic peddlers is carried out by the Tallinn company Starship Technologies.

The corresponding amendments to the legislation on the use of autonomous robotic devices by Starship Technologies as couriers were approved by the parliament of the republic. The authorities have also enshrined norms, parameters and standards that mechanized employees must meet. In particular, robots must "wear a uniform" - electronic couriers are allowed to work only in white, with lights and red LED reflectors on the back.

The dimensions of robotic personnel are also unified: the permissible height of the robot is no more than one meter, the length should be within 1.2 meters, the maximum weight is up to 50 kg. The speed of the Starship bot is 6 km per hour, for comparison, the speed of an adult when walking ranges from 5-7 km per hour.

Starship, according to his assurances, arrives 15-30 minutes after the order. Using the application, the user can track the location of his "courier" on wheels in real time. Ultrasound sensors help him navigate the space. If a person or, for example, a tree falls into their zone, Starship bypasses him, or stops. He even distinguishes between traffic lights, but making a decision - whether to drive to the green or not - he is still helped by a remote call center operator.

In pilot mode, robot couriers "took" to the streets of 60 cities around the world. However, the first official legalization of the device was received so far only in the former republic of the USSR. During the vote, 86 out of 101 parliamentarians cast their vote "for" robot couriers.

Security is the subject of particular attention of the co-founders of Skype. During delivery, each €3,000-5,000 robot is followed by specially hired people. Their task is to ensure the safety of Starship.

Stealing Starship will not be easy - it has a security system, like in an expensive car. If you raise the robot, the sirens will immediately howl. Nine built-in cameras shoot a panorama in non-stop mode. In the event of force majeure, the operator can contact the attacker through two-way audio. The robot cover is shaded - it is impossible to see what is inside. Open - especially: it is blocked, and only the client has the code.

Until the end of 2016, the founders of the startup intended to build 100 devices. They are now refusing to comment on past plans. It is not quantity that is important, but quality: robot algorithms are constantly updated - this is the main thing, the project emphasizes. Starship Technologies is trying to solve the problems that Amazon and Google are struggling with varying success - orienting robots in space and overcoming obstacles^[3].

"In the near future, Starship will cross the road with the help of a person only for security reasons," Henry Harris-Burland reports on the progress. - Since now the percentage of autonomous movement is increasing, robots will soon begin to cross roads on their own. When automation reaches 99%, they will seek help from assistants in the event that crossing roads is especially difficult. "

In the future, Starship Technologies plans to revolutionize the delivery industry and reduce its cost to £1/$ 1/€ 1. The business will be able to choose from two proposed models - entrust robots with just deliveries, up to the last mile, or take a full package of services, which includes renting devices, their maintenance, organizing a call center, etc.

Grishin Robotics invests in robotic delivery service Starship

In January 2017, Grishin Robotics announced an investment in Starship, the creator of the world's first local delivery system using autonomous mobile robots.

For Grishin Robotics, this is the fourth deal of the new fund (after Ring, Eero and another company that has not yet been announced) and the sixteenth since the firm was founded in 2012. The total amount of funding raised in the last round by Starship amounted to $17.2 million. Among the co-investors of Grishin Robotics are the automotive concern Daimler (owner of the Mercedes-Benz brand), Shasta Ventures funds (investor in Nest, Dollar Shave Club), Matrix Partners (investor in Oculus, ZenDesk, Qihoo 360) and others.

driving technologies are revolutionizing more than just passenger travel. Logistics is a huge industry, one of the most important in the world, and the problem of the 'last mile' has long been a serious barrier to both its growth and to reduce its negative impact on the environment. Starship offers a sleek solution, the external simplicity of which hides complex technological developments created by a world-class team. The funds raised will help the company launch pilot delivery systems in a number of new countries and cities, making an extremely convenient service available to even more users, "said Dmitry Grishin, co-founder of Mail.Ru Group and founder of Grishin Robotics

2016: Partnership with Mercedes-Benz in integrating robots with machines

In September 2016, Starship announced a partnership with Mercedes-Benz (part of the Daimler concern) to create Robovan, the world's first transport system that radically increases the efficiency of delivery of goods by integrating robots with machines. Up to 8 Starship robots are supposed to be placed in each truck. At the stage of distribution of goods in large distribution centers, they will be immediately loaded inside the robots. Instead of delivering each item directly - which is expensive, inefficient, increases environmental pollution and degrades the transportation system - trucks will unload robots at the most suitable points to complete delivery on their own.