Thanks to the employment of emission-free electric delivery robots that run on electric power, it is likely that 280,00 drives and carbon emissions related to fossil fuel autos were less in a single town. This is an excellent illustration of how sophisticated technology may be useful to make people’s lives easier. Also, simultaneously protecting the environment.
Delivery robots are not a new concept. Businesses use automated systems to save time and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They are rapidly gaining popularity. One such business is Starship Technologies, whose delivery bots had traveled over 30,000 miles by 2017. In 2019, 100,00 deliveries were out, quintupling to 500,000 in 2020. Then, rolling to one million deliveries by the end of January 2021, and accelerating up to 2,000,000 deliveries in October 2021.
The town council of Milton Keynes in the United Kingdom boasts a significantly lower carbon footprint. Thanks in part to Starship Technologies‘ robot delivery service. It has saved an estimated 280,000 car trips since its launch in 2018. According to preliminary data from an internal investigation, 137 tons of CO2 and 22 kilos of NOx were avoided. 23 kilograms of 10-micron particles and 12 kilograms of 2.5-micron particles were removed from the air. CO2 and NOx are noxious emissions that affect the climate directly or indirectly. Micro-particles are harmful to human health. In a 2019 YouTube video, the business highlighted the early response from Milton Keynes citizens.
How Starship’s Delivery Service Works
The six-wheel delivery robots can drive alone. But one can also command them remotely if necessary. Customer privacy is secured by using low-resolution video transmission that is obfuscated to protect identities. Customers may arrange pickups and deliveries within a four-mile radius using an iPhone or Android app. Thereby, making it suitable for short-range excursions that cause excessive air pollution due to the fast starts, pauses, and idling required for in-town driving. The Starships delivery bots are also highly handy at campuses, where the service is rapidly expanding. Each delivery trip costs around $2, and each robot can carry up to 20 pounds of groceries or other supplies.
Each delivery is likely to require roughly the same amount of energy as boiling water for a cup of tea, saving the automobile drive and its accompanying carbon emissions, according to the paper. Nearly 70% of Starship customers use the delivery service instead of driving to the store, paving the way for a more environmentally friendly future. Starship is also in use in the United States, and it’s starting to pop up in a few cities and universities across the country. That means that the lower emissions achieved in Milton Keynes as a result of electric delivery robots will likely be useful in many more regions shortly.