Singaporean multinational company, Grab, has reportedly decided to commence a pilot robot runner service at PLQ Mall from the 2nd week of June 2021. The company’s robot runner will be capable of consolidating orders across numerous restaurants within the mall before they are handed to delivery partners at a central point of collection for last-mile delivery.
In the initial stages, a Grab runner will be guiding the robot runner on its model route. This will enable it to adapt, learn, and function in a controlled setting in an effective manner. The pilot is anticipated to last for a month. Following that, Grab will be reviewing the viability and performance of the service before expanding it to other locations.
The robot runner’s introduction comes as Grab introduced the feature of mix-and-match to numerous several malls the previous year. The feature has increased in popularity amongst customers as they get to order from various restaurants within a mall, while paying a single delivery fee.
As per reliable sources, the robot runner has been designed in collaboration with Techmetics Robotics. The company is specialized in the designing of an extensive array of autonomous mobile robots. For the record, Grab’s robot runner will have the capability of learning regarding its surroundings via AI (artificial intelligence) and will also be capable of optimizing for maximum efficiency.
According to Yee Wee Tang, the Managing Director of Grab Singapore, as a technology platform that serves delivery riders, merchants, and consumers, the company is continuously seeking innovative solutions that can enhance the total delivery experience for all parties. Tang added that it is a fine balance for achieving and the company believes that advanced technologies comprising artificial intelligence can help the company in doing this well.
As projected by Grab, its delivery partners might shave off between 5 to 15 minutes of the usual time taken for the navigation of shopping malls and for the collection of multiple orders.
Source credit: https://vulcanpost.com/746816/grab-trial-robot-runner/
