Tech giants Google and Amazon might be investing in aerial drones, but Skype's co-founders believe that the future of drone delivery services lies not on the air, but on the ground. Creating small ground-based self-driving delivery robots, Starship Technologies, established by the founders of Skype, aims to make delivery services efficient and effective, according to The Daily Mail.
The self-driving drones, which are yet to be named, are small but feature compartments that could carry about two bags worth of groceries. They are also very safe and completely free from C02 emissions.
Ahti Heinla, CEO of Starship Technologies and co-founder of Skype, stated that despite the robots not being designed for long-distance orders, they would be able to help immensely in completing the final mile of a delivery, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
"When you place your order online, as you do right now, but instead of getting the delivery by somebody coming up to your door and knocking on your door, you would get it by a robot," he said.
Heinla further stated that with the self-driving drone system, customers would have full control of their deliveries by allowing them to choose from a selection of short, precise, delivery slots. Once ordered, customers would then be able to track the drone's movements through a smartphone app, according to Tokyo Business Today.
Those who are wary of the robots' security need not worry, however, as the drones are equipped with various security features that the CEO of the company states would make the potential reward for the would-be robber not worth the risk.
Starship technologies aims to launch real-life trials of the robots in London and a couple of U.S. cities next year.
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