Self-Driving Delivery Robots To Hit Sidewalks of London In 2016 (thestack.com) 98
An anonymous reader writes: Estonian start-up Starship Technologies is taking a different approach to automated delivery with a ground-based self-driving robot. Headquartered in London and launched by two ex-Skype founders, the robotics company has unveiled its suburban pavement-strolling bot which can travel at a speedy 4mph. Starship claims that the 40-pound machine could deliver packages in 5 to 30 minutes from local retailers and restaurants. The company argues that a grounded approach to automated delivery will remove some of the safety concerns linked to flying drone systems, as the robot is much less likely to cause harm.
I had a different idea of starship technologies (Score:2)
amusing they call themselves 'starship technologies' but maybe it's because the earth is a spaceship.
either way, I welcome our robotic overlords :)
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They had a better name in mind, but it was already taken by some modem manufacturers.
40 pounds? (Score:5, Interesting)
What's to keep these from being carried to the nearest alley and a relieved of their payloads?
Re: 40 pounds? (Score:2)
It's in the UK, plenty of surveillance.
Re: 40 pounds? (Score:5, Informative)
It's in the UK, plenty of surveillance.
That doesn't deter, does it? Isn't there a lot of crime [police.uk] in London despite the surveillance?
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Actual evidence disagrees with you.
https://www.police.uk/metropol... [police.uk]
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My point was tongue-in-cheek but you would think the surveillance state would have made it easy to nab perpetrators. Instead, the cops aren't even checking these things because it's too time consuming. You just have to wonder where all the data goes then, if anyone is even listening.
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Cameras, GPS, constant communication with base would mitigate loss but I guess it could be an acceptable cost of doing business
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Vandalisms and theft happens, yet it is still possible to park your car or your bike in most places without getting it vandalized or stolen.
The reason society works is because most people aren't assholes.
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Vandalisms and theft happens, yet it is still possible to park your car or your bike in most places without getting it vandalized or stolen.
If you park your car with a portable GPS, or an iPhone, sitting in plain view on the dashboard, I bet you'll have a different experience.
The reason society works is because most people aren't assholes.
So, you've never been to New York City, have you?
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This could be solved by making it slightly sturdier, perhaps 200-400lb (instead of easy-to-carry-away 40lb), perhaps a metal cage to protect bits, a taser for those enthusiastic pedestrians... and in extreme cases, perhaps a gun...for those termination missions (though then it would have to be made to look like Schwarzenegger :-).
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Cameras, GPS, constant communication with base would mitigate loss
How? The GPS will be on the robot, not the payload.
I was once in a cafe with a guy who left his bike outside unlocked. He said it could not be stolen because he could watch it through the window. Then someone came along and rode it away.
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If the robots can squirt cum, you can be sure the perverts will fuck with them.
Fight for your bitcoins! [coinbrawl.com]
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Make this like cars, but more compact. Make it as heavy as cars, sturdy, and have a loud alarm that lets people around know someone is tampering with bot (like tampering with a car).
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Tell me about it.
I have a neighbor whose car alarm goes off several times every day.... I cannot imagine that it is serving any purpose whatsoever at this point (other than to annoy)
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" they cut off the power and they become a dead lift, impossible to carry."
And of course nobody can carry a 40 pound dead weight.
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" they cut off the power and they become a dead lift, impossible to carry."
And of course nobody can carry a 40 pound dead weight.
This is slashdot, not some bodybuilding forum, bro.
I've seen people here moan about the weight of a wristwatch.
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Then that's a denial of service attack. People will fuck with them all the time to shut them off and delay deliveries.
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Not everyone is an asshole.
Besides, I am sure that if you did this enough you would eventually be caught. After all, the thing will likely be recording video of everything around it and shipping it off to the cloud in near real time.
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Not everyone is an asshole.
No, but the assholes are, and there is a non-zero number of those in any population
Besides, I am sure that if you did this enough you would eventually be caught. After all, the thing will likely be recording video of everything around it and shipping it off to the cloud in near real time.
The cops largely couldn't be bothered and simple disguises such as hoodies go a long way to disguising identity. This is why we can't have nice things.
Low cost returns. (Score:2)
The articles says that the high res cameras and GPS will be a deterrent. One could imagine thieves wearing balaclavas, but still things like gate-analysis or stand-off iris imaging will put the thieves at risk of being spotted by other cameras later and then identified in the future. Perhaps it will also employ something like an electric eel defense.
In any case the economics of this are odd. They state that it will allow deliveries for $1 which they claim is 15 times less than a human driver. Empirical
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What's to keep these from being carried to the nearest alley and a relieved of their payloads?
What's to stop you hijacking a parcel delivery van? Or mugging a little old lady for her pension? Or robbing a bank?
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What's to keep these from being carried to the nearest alley and a relieved of their payloads?
What's to stop you hijacking a parcel delivery van? Or mugging a little old lady for her pension? Or robbing a bank?
Because these involve human victims, that in some cases might put up a fight. A court would take such cases far more seriously than hijacking a robitic cart. As would the police - I can imagine a takeaway owner complaining to the police that his pizza was nicked on the way to Acacia Avenue and the police laughing their heads off, like "WTF did you expect!".
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What's to keep these from being carried to the nearest alley and a relieved of their payloads?
Nothing. And kicked to pieces too.
I live in the UK, and someone said it won't happen because of the number of surveillance cameras; that's rubbish, because the percentage of ground coverage outside of town centres and private premises (which is what is involved here) is tiny. In any case there is a huge difference between being on a security camera and someone in authority seeing it. Muggers don't give a shit about security cameras - they will dance in front of them.
Warning Labels (Score:4, Funny)
To precent mischief future bots will have to deter theft.... one suggested sticker:
DELIVERY BOT CARRIES LESS THAN 2GB OF RAM AT ALL TIMES.
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>> 15 times cheaper than a Mexican on a bicycle?
Considering how many Mexicans there are in London, then yes, the robot might be cheaper.
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I take it you've never been to London's "Little Mexico".
Two Chihuahuans in a flat doesn't make it an ethnic enclave.
Lawsuits... (Score:2)
Re:Lawsuits... (Score:4, Insightful)
By the same token, I can also see some degree of hostility and mischief ... I mean, I'm sorry, but what do you figure the odds are someone won't give it a good kick or otherwise find ways to abuse it?
And I'll tell you what, I aint getting out of the way of no damned robot; so if it isn't bigger than me, it better be faster than me.
Mark my words, people will treat this like shit on their shoes. They sure as heck won't be polite to it.
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[......] what do you figure the odds are someone won't give it a good kick or otherwise find ways to abuse it?
This is London we're talking about, so it's guaranteed that will happen. A lot. The other thing that's guaranteed to happen is they'll get stolen - then probably sold as scrap.
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I find it interesting how different cultures react to robots. The Japanese love them and treat them with some degree of respect. There is some evidence that most of Europe and Canada is safe for robots, but not the US [iflscience.com]. I wouldn't like to be metal in the UK either.
Why is it that in certain cultures there are otherwise seemingly normal people who react with violence towards machines? Is it just machines, would they kick over a mobility scooter if the rider didn't get out of their way? If they owned a robot wo
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They should be okay unless they deploy it in Philly.
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The first thing I thought of was that these would be fun to skitch off of.
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That's why you really should get the Starship app on your IPhone! It notifies you with a big splash "Robot ahead" if you come near one, so that you still can keep looking at your phone. The paid pro version even makes the robots avoid you instead of you having to avoid them. Only works if GPS enabled.
immobility (Score:4, Insightful)
You know, you all are some lazy-ass motherfuckers.
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You know, you all are some lazy-ass motherfuckers.
Or the exact opposite. So NOT lazy that they're busy working at what they specialize all day, that it makes more sense to use their time that way while someone else who specializes in delivering food or office supplies spends their time sparing the busy people from having to stop what they're doing.
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Or better, a human-driven truck will drive into a street, and 3 drones come out and make deliveries, while the driver makes other deliveries himself, or use drone-assist delivering a heavy or delicate item (say, a fridge).
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Dont worry grandpa, these robots will stay off your lawn.
i wonder.. (Score:1)
The Dalek problem (Score:3, Informative)
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Daleks are a welcome and integrated part of London life. They even have their own dedicated toilet facilities
http://www.thepoke.co.uk/2013/... [thepoke.co.uk]
London doesn't have "sidewalks" (Score:5, Informative)
How long before (Score:1)
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Because Terrorists are a lie.
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But your right. I am outraged. The first thing these stupid people say "OMG a Terrorist could use it!", as if they can't already use the alternative. If it something new. Jumping at every shadow. I remember when it was communists. Seriously you got into real trouble if you didn't say USSR/Communism==evil.
The shadows stay the same. Only the labels change.
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The first thing these stupid people say "OMG a Terrorist could use it!", as if they can't already use the alternative. If it something new. Jumping at every shadow.
Yes, it's silly when people don't consider the dangers of new things with the perspective of existing things... but what i find interesting is that most people are polarised on the subject.... to one of the straw men which can be summed up as: "technology kills people" || "people kill people".
When i think it's reasonable to say that reality is far more grey, and the old saying "With great power comes great responsibility" is the most truthful... and frankly a 18Kg pavement bound self driving box while possi
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There you go again - letting your rampant fear and xenophobia drag you into besmirching over 1.6 billion people, publicly, with absolutely no thought behind it what so ever. Considering there have been more bombs planted in London by Christians than Muslims, you are simply explaining that you don't know your history or religion, yet are so sure in your intrinsic awesomeness that you don't need silly things like facts to make a disgusting, ignorant assertion.
You really are pathetic. I thought you were gett
I did this in 2010 and nobody cared (Score:2)
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Couldn't get anyone to invest in it. Why?
Because 2010. This is 2015... free moneh for everyone!*
*tech startups with "autonomous", "app", "cloud", "shiny", and "daffodil" in their descriptions.
Lot's of room for creative non-sense ... (Score:2)
Can they be hacked via WiFi/Bluetooth/whatnot? ... :-) :-)
I can imagine some people re-programming these for a detour into somebody garage for looting.
Or simply having them drive around in circles or chug along the highway, sprayed with graffity sprayed all over them.
Countless possibilities.
The first thing my buddy's gonna get when amazon sends out it's delivery drones is a shotgun.
Only 40 pounds! (Score:1)
Self-Driving Delivery Robots To Hit Sidewalks? (Score:1)
Mobility Scooters (Score:1)
You know what else moves at 4mph on a pavement. The elderly in mobility scooters, potentially we could give them souped up mobility scouters and let them be low speed couriers around London.
For some reason I find that more frightening than a robot doing the deliveries..
"sidewalks" (Score:3)
Outside the USA, there are very few sidewalks and none in London.
As English is not only our first language but it goes back centuries, we have pavements.
Almost ready (Score:2)
Only a few remaining bugs [shop4world.com] need to be worked out.
Collision Avoidance (Score:2)
Why can't they have good enough collision avoidance so that they DO NOT hit the sidewalks?
You mean much more likely to cause harm. (Score:2)
Flying drones will only risk injuring someone if they have a catastrophic failure and just happen to land on someone when they fall to earth.
The land-drones will be in very close proximity to people the entire time they are operating creating numerous opportunity for injury on a constant basis. Way more people will be injured by these things than by flying drones.
Plus, people will just kick them over when they are in their way.
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I am sure that the creators of this bot have considered all of these real-world scenarios.
I am interested to see how it works out. It seems to be a really good idea.
After all, if I can get away with not tipping for deliveries that would make me really happy :)
Private Taking (Score:2)
If these things don't drive along the road, but instead use the sidewalks, it constitutes the UK-equivalent of a private taking of a public good.
Sidewalks are for pedestrians, and sometimes bicycles (depending upon local laws &/or enforcement).
Easy to steal? (Score:1)