Hoping to capitalise on a surge in demand for home deliveries, a&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;technology company has deployed a pair of robots to bring residents their groceries in one part of the city state.

Developed by OTSAW Digital and both named "Camello", the robots' services have been offered to 700 households in a one-year trial.

Users can book delivery slots for their milk and eggs, and an app notifies them when the robot is about to reach a pick-up point,&nbsp;usually the lobby of an apartment building.

The robots, which are equipped with 3D sensors, a camera and two compartments each able to carry up to 20 kg (44 lb) of food or parcels ordered online, make four or five deliveries per day on weekdays and are on call for half day on Saturday.

They use ultraviolet light to disinfect themselves after every trip, said OTSAW Digital's chief executive, Ling Ting Ming.

"Especially during this pandemic period, everybody is looking at contactless, humanless," he said.

For the time being, staff accompany the robots on their rounds to ensure no problems arise.

Tashfique Haider, a 25-year-old student who has tried out the service, said it could be particularly helpful for the elderly so they wouldn't have to carry goods home.

But a passerby worried the technology might be too much trouble for some.

"The younger customers will like it. I don't think they (the older generation) will, because these are gadgets that younger people like," said 36-year-old housewife Xue Ya Xin.

Similarly,&nbsp;Domino's Pizza Inc and Nuro Inc, a Silicon Valley startup, said on Monday they will launch a robotic pizza delivery service in Houston this week as they seek to satisfy increasing online orders during the pandemic.

With small, low-speed vehicles to carry packages instead of people, Nuro has been pulling ahead of other autonomous vehicle startups in gaining regulatory approvals. It won US&nbsp;clearance last year to start unmanned delivery services.

Nuro recently secured a $500 million including an equity investment from Woven Capital, the mobility investment arm of a Toyota Motor Corp subsidiary, which made its total valuation more than $5 billion, a person familiar with the matter said.

The delivery service will begin at a Domino's outlet in Houston before expanding to serve customers in many other locations as part of a long-term partnership, said Cosimo Leipold, Nuro’s head of partner relations.

"It’s generally difficult for large companies to hire enough drivers to fill their delivery demand," Leipold said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

Leipold said Nuro, which has already partnered with retailers Kroger Co, Walmart Inc and CVS Health Corp to deliver groceries and prescriptions, said its weekly deliveries had nearly tripled in the first three months of the pandemic.

Houston, the fourth-largest US&nbsp;city, has one of the country's highest road fatality rates. "Houston’s roadways create challenging scenarios for our technology to work with," Leipold added.

Nuro and&nbsp;Domino’s&nbsp;had said in 2019 they expected to launch robot pizza delivery late that year. "Nuro and&nbsp;Domino’s&nbsp;have taken a measured approach to prioritize a smooth and safe deployment," Leipold said.

Nuro, founded by two former Google engineers in 2016, previously raised $940 million from the SoftBank Vision Fund.

(With input from agencies)

Hoping to capitalise on a surge in demand for home deliveries, a Singapore technology company has deployed a pair of robots to bring residents their groceries in one part of the city state.

Hoping to capitalise on a surge in demand for home deliveries, a Singapore technology company has deployed a pair of robots to bring residents their groceries in one part of the city state. Developed by OTSAW Digital and both named "Camello", the robots' services have been offered to 700 households in a one-year trial. Users can book delivery slots for their milk and eggs, and an app notifies them when the robot is about to reach a pick-up point, usually the lobby of an apartment building. The robots, which are equipped with 3D sensors, a camera and two compartments each able to carry up to 20 kg (44 lb) of food or parcels ordered online, make four or five deliveries per day on weekdays and are on call for half day on Saturday. They use ultraviolet light to disinfect themselves after every trip, said OTSAW Digital's chief executive, Ling Ting Ming. "Especially during this pandemic period, everybody is looking at contactless, humanless," he said. For the time being, staff accompany the robots on their rounds to ensure no problems arise. Tashfique Haider, a 25-year-old student who has tried out the service, said it could be particularly helpful for the elderly so they wouldn't have to carry goods home. But a passerby worried the technology might be too much trouble for some. "The younger customers will like it. I don't think they (the older generation) will, because these are gadgets that younger people like," said 36-year-old housewife Xue Ya Xin. Similarly, Domino's Pizza Inc and Nuro Inc, a Silicon Valley startup, said on Monday they will launch a robotic pizza delivery service in Houston this week as they seek to satisfy increasing online orders during the pandemic. With small, low-speed vehicles to carry packages instead of people, Nuro has been pulling ahead of other autonomous vehicle startups in gaining regulatory approvals. It won US clearance last year to start unmanned delivery services. Nuro recently secured a $500 million including an equity investment from Woven Capital, the mobility investment arm of a Toyota Motor Corp subsidiary, which made its total valuation more than $5 billion, a person familiar with the matter said. The delivery service will begin at a Domino's outlet in Houston before expanding to serve customers in many other locations as part of a long-term partnership, said Cosimo Leipold, Nuro’s head of partner relations. "It’s generally difficult for large companies to hire enough drivers to fill their delivery demand," Leipold said in an emailed statement to Reuters. Leipold said Nuro, which has already partnered with retailers Kroger Co, Walmart Inc and CVS Health Corp to deliver groceries and prescriptions, said its weekly deliveries had nearly tripled in the first three months of the pandemic. Houston, the fourth-largest US city, has one of the country's highest road fatality rates. "Houston’s roadways create challenging scenarios for our technology to work with," Leipold added. Nuro and Domino’s had said in 2019 they expected to launch robot pizza delivery late that year. "Nuro and Domino’s have taken a measured approach to prioritize a smooth and safe deployment," Leipold said. Nuro, founded by two former Google engineers in 2016, previously raised $940 million from the SoftBank Vision Fund. (With input from agencies)

New normal? Robots being used for home deliveries due to surge in COVID cases

Nibesh Yadav must hit the road by 8 am sharp. He checks his motorcycle for fuel, loads the day&#39;s orders on his outsized backpack and off he goes to make &quot;khushiyon ki home delivery&quot;. 
 
With Diwali only days away, this is the high season for online shopping and for delivery boys who traverse from one end of the city to the other dropping off everything, from eye pencils and evening dresses to mixer-grinders and mobile phones. 
 
Nibesh is among the thousands of delivery boys, who deliver up to 200 packages a day during peak shopping seasons, often for less than Rs 20 each. All the packages must be delivered by 8 pm. 
 
They are a familiar sight young men, in their 20s and 30s, with huge overloaded backpacks, climbing up and down floors, stepping into creaky lifts and wiping the sweat from their brows at red lights. 
 
With online portals offering irresistible Diwali sales, the delivery boys are on their toes, toiling for over 12 hours a day to ensure that the package you&#39;ve been waiting for reaches on time. 
 
&quot;It can be tough but this is what it is,&quot; said Nibesh with a philosophical shrug. 
 
Many are not directly employed by companies like Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra, but are &#39;outsourced partners&#39;, who come in handy during the festive season when the pressure to deliver is immense. 
 
Amazon, for instance, has 350 service partner nodes and 1,75,000 &#39;I Have Space&#39; store partners across the country. 
 
This is in addition to those directly employed at operational centres, said a company spokesperson. 
 
A Myntra insider added that the company deploys about 1,000 people to tide over the festive rush and also has a MENSA (Myntra Extended Network Through Store Activation) network of close to 2,000 stores across India to enable deliveries. 
 
While both Amazon and Myntra offer their benefits -- hospitalization and accident insurance, night shift allowance, fuel reimbursement, and provident fund -- to directly employed delivery personnel, these don&#39;t apply to &#39;store owners&#39; like Nibesh. Responses to Flipkart went unanswered. 
 
The hours are long, the money less. 
 
Nibesh said he has to pay for the vehicle and the fuel, and also bear the cost of any damage or loss of package. 
 
&quot;Amazon pays Rs 18 for the delivery of each packet, and Myntra and Jabong pay Rs 14,&quot; said Nibesh, who also delivers for Myntra and Jabong. 
 
He has employed another boy, and the two move around the city delivering over 100 packages on a regular day. This goes up to 200 packets during the festive rush. 
 
The packets are stuffed inside a big backpack, which itself weighs 1 kg. 
 
&quot;The bag ends up weighing something around 35-40 kg. We travel on our bikes and the backpacks on our shoulders make it difficult to balance, especially over speed-breakers. It increases the risk of accidents. There is also the danger of losing or damaging the packages,&quot; he said. 
 
In older residential colonies in the city, which do not have elevators, he has to carry the weight all the way up, sometimes five floors, and back. 
 
Praveen Kumar, another &#39;store&#39; owner who has been delivering in Delhi-NCR for over two years now, added that he makes two trips to and from his store every day, carrying 45- 50 packets every time. 
 
&quot;Sometimes the packets are too heavy, especially if there are shoes. So, I have to make two trips,&quot; he said. 
 
Managing time is crucial, because a delayed package can land delivery boys like Nibesh and Praveen in trouble. 
 
&quot;We must deliver all the packets for the day before 8 in the evening,&quot; Praveen said. 
 
Any delay in delivery, and the customer immediately shoots an email to the company. 
 
&quot;They do not understand that the delay is not on purpose. 
 
Sometimes it is the weather, other times it could be an accident or a tyre puncture,&quot; Nibesh said. 
 
Both lament the humiliating treatment meted out to them by customers. 
 
Sometimes, for instance, card machines provided by the companies don&#39;t function due to poor network. Some customers are kind enough to go to the ATM and get cash, most simply complain and shout at them. 
 
&quot;They are extremely disrespectful to us,&quot; said Nibesh. 
 
Customers celebrate, receiving and giving gifts, and portals rejoice at turnovers as another Diwali comes around.

Nibesh Yadav must hit the road by 8 am sharp. He checks his motorcycle for fuel, loads the day's orders on his outsized backpack and off he goes to make "khushiyon ki home delivery"

Nibesh Yadav must hit the road by 8 am sharp. He checks his motorcycle for fuel, loads the day's orders on his outsized backpack and off he goes to make "khushiyon ki home delivery". With Diwali only days away, this is the high season for online shopping and for delivery boys who traverse from one end of the city to the other dropping off everything, from eye pencils and evening dresses to mixer-grinders and mobile phones. Nibesh is among the thousands of delivery boys, who deliver up to 200 packages a day during peak shopping seasons, often for less than Rs 20 each. All the packages must be delivered by 8 pm. They are a familiar sight young men, in their 20s and 30s, with huge overloaded backpacks, climbing up and down floors, stepping into creaky lifts and wiping the sweat from their brows at red lights. With online portals offering irresistible Diwali sales, the delivery boys are on their toes, toiling for over 12 hours a day to ensure that the package you've been waiting for reaches on time. "It can be tough but this is what it is," said Nibesh with a philosophical shrug. Many are not directly employed by companies like Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra, but are 'outsourced partners', who come in handy during the festive season when the pressure to deliver is immense. Amazon, for instance, has 350 service partner nodes and 1,75,000 'I Have Space' store partners across the country. This is in addition to those directly employed at operational centres, said a company spokesperson. A Myntra insider added that the company deploys about 1,000 people to tide over the festive rush and also has a MENSA (Myntra Extended Network Through Store Activation) network of close to 2,000 stores across India to enable deliveries. While both Amazon and Myntra offer their benefits -- hospitalization and accident insurance, night shift allowance, fuel reimbursement, and provident fund -- to directly employed delivery personnel, these don't apply to 'store owners' like Nibesh. Responses to Flipkart went unanswered. The hours are long, the money less. Nibesh said he has to pay for the vehicle and the fuel, and also bear the cost of any damage or loss of package. "Amazon pays Rs 18 for the delivery of each packet, and Myntra and Jabong pay Rs 14," said Nibesh, who also delivers for Myntra and Jabong. He has employed another boy, and the two move around the city delivering over 100 packages on a regular day. This goes up to 200 packets during the festive rush. The packets are stuffed inside a big backpack, which itself weighs 1 kg. "The bag ends up weighing something around 35-40 kg. We travel on our bikes and the backpacks on our shoulders make it difficult to balance, especially over speed-breakers. It increases the risk of accidents. There is also the danger of losing or damaging the packages," he said. In older residential colonies in the city, which do not have elevators, he has to carry the weight all the way up, sometimes five floors, and back. Praveen Kumar, another 'store' owner who has been delivering in Delhi-NCR for over two years now, added that he makes two trips to and from his store every day, carrying 45- 50 packets every time. "Sometimes the packets are too heavy, especially if there are shoes. So, I have to make two trips," he said. Managing time is crucial, because a delayed package can land delivery boys like Nibesh and Praveen in trouble. "We must deliver all the packets for the day before 8 in the evening," Praveen said. Any delay in delivery, and the customer immediately shoots an email to the company. "They do not understand that the delay is not on purpose. Sometimes it is the weather, other times it could be an accident or a tyre puncture," Nibesh said. Both lament the humiliating treatment meted out to them by customers. Sometimes, for instance, card machines provided by the companies don't function due to poor network. Some customers are kind enough to go to the ATM and get cash, most simply complain and shout at them. "They are extremely disrespectful to us," said Nibesh. Customers celebrate, receiving and giving gifts, and portals rejoice at turnovers as another Diwali comes around.

Diwali deliveries: those who shoulder the festive burden

home-delivery

Home Delivery, News on Home Delivery, stories on Home Delivery, articles on Home Delivery, Home Delivery stories at Wion, Home Delivery news, Home Delivery latest news