Robots deliver the Food

Reuters reported that a startup in Colombia is experimenting with robots to deliver food. During the New Coronary Pneumonia, many people are forced to stay at home, this food delivery method is safer. The pilot for the delivery of robots was launched last week in Medellín, Colombia's second largest city. This boxy robot is driven by four wheels and its antenna is decorated with orange flags. They can transport up to 35 square centimeters (5 square inches) of goods and can also be used to deliver takeaway orders.

The robot will complete the last mile of transportation and sterilize it before and after each use. These delivery robots are jointly operated by Rappi and KiwiBot in the United States. Matias Laks, Rappi ’s Colombia regional manager, said in a statement: “We believe that by working with technology, we will be able to continue to achieve our goals and make people ’s lives safer in the current situation.” It said that Rappi has completed nearly 120 deliveries per day through 15 robots deployed in the pilot area.

It plans to run the pilot until July, if successful, it will be extended to other cities. Rappi has about 200,000 distributors in nine Latin American countries. According to reports, in the first two months of 2020, before the epidemic affected business activities, Rappi's distribution volume increased by 30% year-on-year. In the fiercely competitive home delivery business, Brazil ’s iFood announced last week that it had acquired a controlling stake in Rappi ’s competitor Domicilios due to its desire to expand in the Colombian region.