DPD has upscaled its work on autonomous deliveries with the launch of a new ‘Locker’ robot.
The parcel delivery company has become the first in the UK to deploy Ottonomy’s multi-compartment, fully autonomous Ottobot robot.
Larger than DPD’s existing autonomous delivery robots, the eight-compartment robot carries multiple deliveries in separate cabins and has a maximum payload of 70kg. This gives DPD a major uplift in terms of productivity, with the ability to deliver more parcels before the robot needs to return to the depot to be reloaded.
Ottobot can also support collections, enabling it to double up as an additional, mobile parcel drop-off point for customers, further aiding customer practicality and helping to cut their CO2 footprint too.
The robot is super manoeuvrable thanks to its four-wheel powered swerve drive with independent steering and suspension, while its multiple sensors, including light detection and ranging lidars and cameras, and latest-gen software enable it to navigate complex environments autonomously.
DPD’s first locker robot launches in Milton Keynes – where the firm first debuted its autonomous robot deliveries in July 2022, which have since rolled out in Raunds, Bristol and Lincoln.
The Ottobot will be based at DPD’s Milton Keynes depot in Knowlhill and will navigate the city’s traffic-free Redway network to access nearby residential neighbourhoods. The additional compartments not only enable the robot to work more efficiently with up to eight separate deliveries each time it leaves the depot but can also accommodate larger parcels in two 38-litre compartments.
Once the locker robots have completed the mapping process, they operate fully autonomously. DPD parcel recipients get an SMS when the robot is outside their property and can then use a secure one-time pin code to open the robot and access their parcel.
The robot battery lasts up to six hours with the ability to keep swapping the battery for a new, fully charged one at the depot, keeping the robot on the road.
Tim Jones, director of marketing, communications & sustainability at DPDgroup UK, said: “This is the next chapter for us in terms of autonomous deliveries after a very successful rollout across a number of different locations. It’s well over two years now since we began autonomous robot deliveries and the customer feedback continues to be incredibly positive. We’ve also learned a lot in terms of how best to deploy the technology and how to maximise the effectiveness of the robots day to day.”
Ritukar Vijay, founder and CEO at Ottonomy, remarked: “DPD is already well ahead of its competitors with its robot fleet and is well placed to maximise the full potential of Ottobot. Our autonomous robot technology is designed to help brands meet customers’ ever-changing demands in new ways and provide the scalability to be a truly effective solution.”
