Ottonomy's Autonomous Robots Deliver Food at a US Airport
Although some people are starting to take risks and travel by air again, the more they can keep up physical distancing, the better. To help them do so, a US airport has introduced a new robotic food delivery service.
The system is currently in use at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and includes a fleet of autonomous four-wheeled Ottobots built by robotics company Ottonomy.
In the current setup, travelers in the Concourse B area begin by using a special app to order food, drinks or travel goods from selected shops located elsewhere in the facility. After placing an order, staff at the relevant shop put the item into the cargo compartment of one of the Ottobots, which then sets off.
As the robot moves through the airport, it uses a LiDAR module and other sensors to avoid obstacles such as people, and uses what the company describes as a "contextual mobility system" to track its location within the facility.
Although it is not yet known what this system involves, other indoor navigation systems typically include things like Bluetooth beacons, strategically placed camera-readable QR codes or Wi-Fi signals.
The app shows the customer where the Ottobot currently is in the airport, alerts them when it reaches their location, and provides a QR code for the specific order. When the customer holds this code to the robot's scanner, it unlocks and opens the lid of its cargo compartment so the customer can collect the purchase.
The current delivery system was developed based on user feedback from a pilot project run at the same airport in late 2020. Customer feedback on this program will in turn be used as the system is further expanded.
A company representative said Ottobots can navigate the airport by first creating a "digital twin" — a computer map — of the served area, and then using onboard equipment to track their location on that map in real time.
The online shopping and delivery sector is changing rapidly. In 2020, online sales grew by 234%, and local last-mile deliveries grew by 700%.
"To cope with exponential growth with sustainable margins and a huge labor shortage, we are moving along this path, offering systems that are better than what we have today. Ottonomy currently works for sidewalk, last-mile and indoor delivery," the company said.
Sidewalk delivery has grown sharply in recent years. The company is rethinking this concept of delivery, with robots able to deliver goods from a store to parking lots. Using a technology stack that works seamlessly both indoors and outdoors allows retailers and restaurants to deliver goods faster and more environmentally friendly. Retailers can use their physical store networks to gain a competitive advantage over online delivery or doorstep delivery.
The goal of local last-mile delivery is to get goods to the recipient as quickly as possible. However, this stage of delivery is often the least efficient and accounts for almost 53% of the total cost of the entire life cycle of the delivered item.
Ottonomy robots travel along sidewalks to deliver goods from restaurants and stores to customers' doorsteps. Thanks to multiple compartments, the devices can deliver more items per trip, which is a significant advantage since sidewalks will not become overcrowded. The robots deliver at any time of day and navigate complex, crowded urban and suburban areas.
In addition, thanks to its unique positioning and technical capabilities, the company delivers to dynamic and time-sensitive areas such as airports. Ottonomy can carry out deliveries inside an airport thanks to its contextual mobility and its ability to close gaps in this work.
"Similarly, robots can also work with large resorts to help with staff shortages, operating with a minimal number of delivery devices indoors and outdoors. No more queuing for your favorite snack!" Ottonomy said.
How Ottonomy robot delivery works:
- The customer places an order.
- The order is prepared and the provider scans the customer's QR code.
- The robot sets off and uses crowd-navigation.
- The customer receives a notification that the robot has arrived.
- The customer scans the QR code for contactless access to the order.
- The provider receives a notification when the order is delivered.
The company has built this ecosystem so that providers can manage, monitor and schedule their robots' activity through the cloud-based Network Operation Console (NOC), which will integrate directly with their POS software.
Advantages of Ottobot robot delivery:
- Behavior-based contextual navigation with precise mapping and localization, allowing robots to move through crowded environments.
- Situational awareness with active perception using multi-sensor data fusion to understand the environment and assess threats during navigation.
- Contactless delivery wherever you are, using a mobile app and QR codes to access the package. Multiple compartments allow handling of different items, such as food, groceries and parcels.
- A cloud console for monitoring, tracking and emergency management of the robot fleet. It also provides key business analytics and operational excellence.
- Electric delivery vehicles help reduce the carbon footprint of the delivery process and develop an economy with sustainable zero-emission goals.
