Amazon are stopping live trials of its automated delivery robot ‘Scout’, stating that the programme did not completely meet its customers’ needs.
An emailed statement seen by Reuters, stressed that the ecommerce giant is not abandoning the project altogether but rather scaling back or “reorienting” the programme. Amazon said it will work with the involved employees to match them to other open roles within the organisation.
Scout was designed with six wheels to roll along pavements at a walking pace and able to navigate around pedestrians and obstructions. The delivery robots are the size of a small box.
Amazon started testing the fully-electric Scout in Washington state in 2019 before expanding to Southern California, Georgia and Tennessee.
However, Amazon is now working to cut costs amid the worsening global economic landscape. The ecommerce giant has already terminated the production of the Amazon Glow, a video-calling device designed for children, which integrated games into calls.
Furthermore, the company has frozen its corporate hiring strategy within its retail business.
