The Start of a Journey to Deliver the Last 50 Feet

A journey of a thousand miles may begin with a single step, but the most difficult part of a package’s journey is the last 50 feet. It is between the delivery truck and a consumer’s residence that is difficult to automate.

As seen in the interview above, Vault Robotics, a spinout from the Safe Robotics Lab at Princeton University, is early in its journey to help tackle the delivery van-to-doorstep challenge. As Robert Shi, Vault Robotics Founder / CEO, explains in the above video, their unique wheeled and legged robot, can hop from a van, wheel itself on flat ground, and climb curbs and steps to reach its destination.

Vault Robotics vision is about augmenting the human in the van. As depicted, the human would be the manager of a roving fleet of robot delivery vehicles. This approach greatly reduces the robot’s travel distance compared to traditional sidewalk robots.

Some of the benefits of Vault’s approach compared to other robotic home delivery methods include

  • Automated package drop-off (eliminating the need for recipient presence)
  • Transparent, real-time safety assurances and human-readable safety certificates
  • Supervised delivery with a nearby human to intervene in case there’s a problem
  • Reduced sidewalk congestion (less time on the sidewalk)
  • Ability to climb stairs and curbs

Vault Founder / Chief Technical Consultant, Jaime Fernández Fisac emphasizes that safety is Vault Robotic’s top priority and is the foundation as they turn their vision into an offering.

A Modular, Data-Centric, Open Approach #

Vault Robotics is taking a pragmatic approach to understanding the need for collaboration in a market that is still nascent. An example of that collaboration is their work with the Urban Robotics Foundation.

As described in a previous Viodi interview with URF founder Bern Grush, the Urban Robotics Foundation is bringing together all the stakeholders – from cities to insurance to planners to robot makers – to develop a standard, ISO Draft Technical Standard 4448, that localities can apply to fit their needs.

Further, Shi explains that they are working with a consortium to automate the end-to-end package delivery from the warehouse to the mobile depot to the doorstep. In an email, Shi further explains:

Catena is developing an international end-to-end supply chain automation framework enabled by comprehensive data collection throughout the entire package transport process. This collaborative effort, which includes Vault Robotics, several European companies, and expertise from the Universal Postal Union Consultative Committee, is dedicated to providing white-label package delivery solutions. These solutions aim to enhance customs and delivery efficiency, reduce operational costs, and enable precise tracking of sustainability metrics, including carbon footprint.”

Robert Shi, Founder / CEO. Vault Robotics

Interoperability and open data will become increasingly important as robots from different manufacturers roam the streets. Additionally, as alluded to in the interview, even within the same manufacturer, there might be different robots for a given application (e.g. tracks for certain conditions).

Common datasets and resulting APIs will be the glue that ties these disparate systems and devices together. By building its design around an open, data-centric approach, Vault Robotic sets itself up well for understanding the hardware and communications needs to bring its animations to reality.

Interview Highlights

  • 00:18 – Robert Shi talks about Vault Robotics founding and mission.
  • 00:46 – Jaime Fernández Fisac, Vault Founder / Chief Technical Consultant and Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Princeton, explains that there are multiple factors in safely automating doorstep delivery.
  • 02:09 – Augmenting the human and making a hard job easier.
  • 02:45 – The Urban Robotics Foundation is facilitating the deployment of robots in the public space. They are also talking to the Universal Postal Union Consultative Committee regarding regulations around data and handoffs between humans and robots.
  • 03:46 – Both public and private carriers could benefit from Vault Robotics’ efforts, particularly in their area of open data exchange.
  • 04:49 – Common data formats are a necessity.
  • 05:29 – The growth of home package delivery will continue.
  • 06:21 – An open approach facilitates multiple robot types
  • 07:33 – Safety is a necessary condition and must be certifiable.

Author Ken Pyle, Managing Editor

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