Hermes is to extend its partnership with Starship Technologies to introduce the company’s autonomous delivery robots into London.
The company is to trial the robots in the borough of Southwark in London in a move which follows a similar trial between the two companies in Germany.
The initial trial will offer limited thirty-minute time slots for the collection of parcels, either for items being returned to retailers, or for items being sent by small businesses or consumers via myHermes. In the future the company said the robots could offer Hermes greater scheduling and tracking capabilities.
The robots have a carriage weight of up to 10kg, can travel at up to four miles an hour and can be used within a 2-mile radius of their control system and are currently being tested by a number of different companies.
Carole Woodhead, CEO of Hermes, said: “Starship Technologies is a highly innovative and pioneering firm. We are extremely pleased to utilise their expertise to explore exciting new ways that will further strengthen our portfolio of services and offer greater choice and convenience for customers. We can already see first-hand the success they’ve had with food deliveries in London, and we are excited to team up with them in a bid to revolutionise the home delivery marketplace.”
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