Page 8

Loading...
Tips: Click on articles from page

More news at Page 8





Page 8 2,427 viewsPrint | Download

WS Development ran a trial of autonomous delivery robots along Seaport Boulevard over the summer. The developer partnered with Peyk, a U.K.-based robotics company that has designed a self-driving modular delivery bot powered by artificial intelligence.

The Peykbot, as it is called, has a rounded, brightly colored compartment mounted on a platform with six all weather wheels. It can climb steps, detect obstacles and follow the rules of the road. It also comes with theft prevention measures, like surveillance cameras and an alert system. Its compartment is lockable.

“For the trial, Peyk partnered with various Seaport retail outlets to provide short distance deliveries within a 5-mile radius,” WS Development wrote in a press release when the program was announced. “Over one month, PeykBot performed numerous deliveries, transporting goods between 150 shops and 15 buildings.”

Peyk has previously run trials of its autonomous deliveries throughout the U.K. and in multiple countries in the Middle East. Though Peykbot has made appearances in New York City, the Seaport program was its first official U.S. trial.

Peykbots in the pilot program were emblazoned with the Seaport logo.

Peyk told the Boston Business Journal in August that it had chosen Seaport as the site of its pilot because it offered the best infrastructure for the robot’s design, with newer streets and non-cobblestone paving. The robotics company also states on its website that it is looking for partnerships with “sustainable cities,” which made Boston a top choice.

The Journal reported that due to ongoing construction in Seaport, the robot’s delivery space was limited. Neither Peyk nor WS Development specified where the 5-mile-radius area was centered, or what retail outlets and restaurants were involved with the deliveries. Photos of the deliveries only show “Seaport”-branded packaging for the items in the robot.

However, photos of the robot shared to social media show it making deliveries along Seaport Boulevard, both near the Summer Street Steps and by Ora Seaport Apartments, at the eastern end of the boulevard. Other photos show it at Claflin Street, near the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and at Seaport’s miniature retail village, The Current.

“The project is a critical step in revolutionizing the delivery sector around the globe,” according WS Development.

Peyk joined MassRobotics in June, which allowed its team to monitor the pilot program on the ground. It hosted Peykbot at numerous robotics conventions throughout the summer. “As part of our entrance into the United States, we at Peyk chose MassRobotics as an ideal hub to cater into this huge market,” Peyk wrote in a press release at the time. “They are the largest independent robotics hub dedicated to accelerating innovation and adoption in the field of robotics.”

A Seaport spokesperson declined an interview, stating that the program was only a trial. WS Development said that the pilot program was a one-off trial and that the robot was not currently making regular deliveries. Peyk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.