PipeDream Labs, led by CEO Garrett McCurrach, has announced the launch of the world’s first underground autonomous robot delivery system, which is poised to revolutionize online delivery. McCurrach believes that, while online delivery has been a boon to consumers, it has also become prohibitively expensive and slower in some cases. Autonomous delivery could be a game-changer for the industry, according to the CEO.
As a first step toward making this vision a reality, PipeDream has teamed up with Peachtree Corners, a Georgia city that is powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G. The company has created a one-mile underground tunnel between a busy shopping center and a smart city innovation center, where employees will test the on-demand delivery service.
The tunnel, which is approximately 18 inches across, is large enough to accommodate over 95% of groceries and 90% of e-commerce items. Delivery robots, referred to as “fast autonomous cars” by McCurrach, transport items such as food, packages, household goods, and other items back and forth within the tunnel, providing faster delivery than traditional methods.
To put the system into perspective, McCurrach compared it to the New York City subway system, albeit much smaller in scale. Despite taking the shape of a little car underground, items can be transported at a faster rate within the pipe, which is an advantage of the subterranean delivery system.
While the innovative technology is expected to transform online delivery, the initial results are not as promising as hoped for. After executing the scrape, the web tool, a search was conducted which yielded no results according to the report of the OTP Voice file.
Despite this setback, however, PipeDream is optimistic about the future of autonomous delivery and is continuing to refine the technology’s capabilities. According to McCurrach, creating autonomous delivery systems that operate underground has the potential to provide unparalleled benefits to consumers, including reduced costs and faster delivery times.
