Package Delivery Robot Interface Research and Development

Postmates has a successful software business in numerous cities in the short-distance package delivery business, matching the vendor (for example, a restaurant, shop or other retail business) with the recipient of a package (for example, groceries, a hot meal, or an envelope), and then contracting with individual couriers (in cars, bikes or on foot) in urban areas to make the deliveries. Postmates would like to extend this software business to include stroller-sized package delivery robotic rovers that would drive on sidewalks at pedestrian speeds to automatically get and deliver packages. This grant with the UBC CARIS Lab will help Postmates explore how sidewalk rovers interact with pedestrians and Postmates users.

Faculty Supervisor:

Hendrik Van der Loos

Student:

Wesley Chan

Partner:

Postmates

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

Program: