Driven in part by the acceleration of food delivery which got a boost from the global pandemic, food retailers got behind autonomous delivery mediums in 2021.
Walmart invested in DroneUp, a nationwide drone services provider, and also launched drone delivery hubs at three Walmart locations in Arkansas, which operate seven days a week to deliver items to eligible customers by air in as little as 30 minutes.
The Kroger Co. meanwhile partnered with Drone Express to pilot grocery delivery via autonomous drones. The retailer designed bundled product offerings within the weight limits for drone delivery, which is about five pounds, according to the company.
In partnership with the Ford Motor Co. and Argo AI, Walmart announced plans to launch an autonomous vehicle delivery service in Miami, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas. The last-mile delivery service will use Ford self-driving test vehicles equipped with Argo AI’s technology.
“Our focus on the testing and development of self-driving technology that operates in urban areas where customer demand is high really comes to life with this collaboration,” said Bryan Salesky, founder and CEO, Argo AI, in a statement.
Food delivery robots also got to work on college campuses, and in airports and residential neighborhoods.
Grubhub partnered with Yandex Self-Driving Group to launch autonomous vehicles on college campuses, including at the University of Arizona. The company’s proprietary self-driving technology, which includes autonomous navigation of pavements, pedestrian areas, and crosswalks, makes it possible to reach areas on campus not accessible by cars, said Grubhub.
“Our ongoing partnership with Grubhub, and now Yandex, continues to strengthen and bring cool new innovation to our campus,” said Todd Millay, executive director of Arizona Student Unions, in a statement.
At LAX airport, a food delivery robot called NomNom uses cameras and sensors to follow its handler around the airport.
C-store chain 7-Eleven partnered with Nuro on a similar service in Mountainview, California, and ShopRite has launched battery-powered robotic delivery at two locations in Pennsylvania. The vehicles are tele-operated by remote drivers.
Related: 15 Minute or Less Delivery Company Comes to NYC; Uber to Deliver Christmas Trees, Wreaths.