Expo City and Yango Group launch robot food delivery service in Dubai
A futuristic robot food delivery service has been launched in Dubai.
Available at Expo City Dubai for the next four months, the service will see robots independently plan their routes, manoeuvre around obstacles and give way to pedestrians.
The pilot scheme has been launched in conjunction with global tech company Yango and will deliver meals from select cafés and restaurants to Expo City's main office in Al Wasl Plaza.
Autonomous robots will seamlessly blend into smart city environments and use AI to get around urban areas at the Expo City site.
Using high-definition maps and an array of sensors, delivery robots plan routes in real time and avoid pedestrians, vehicles, and static obstacles, even in low-light conditions or adverse weather.
The robot food delivery service will be powered by electricity, which means it will produce zero emissions and operate more quietly than traditional delivery vehicles.
Currently, the pilot program is available exclusively for deliveries to the Al Wasl 3 office building.
Users can order meals through the Expo City Eats app, which facilitates food delivery services across the city, and Yango Group's robots will deliver from four restaurants to a designated point in the office.
If the trial period proves successful, then the service is expected to expand and be rolled out to provide deliveries from more Expo City restaurants to all residents and commercial tenants.
Nikita Gavrilov, regional head of Yango Tech Autonomy, says that Expo City is the perfect place to test the high-tech service.
She said: 'We are thrilled to collaborate with Expo City Dubai on this pilot program. Its clearly defined zones provide a perfectly controlled environment to safely and efficiently test autonomous technologies.
'In line with Expo City's vision as a blueprint for future cities, our robots combine cutting-edge AI technology and sustainable last-mile delivery practices to elevate daily life in smart communities.'
Dr Amy Hochadel, vice president of Urban Lab, Expo City Dubai said that they are setting the standard for cities of the future.
She said: 'Expo City is a testbed for bold breakthroughs in technology and innovation, with its Urban Lab providing an open city-wide space to pilot and scale solutions needed for future human-centric cities.
'Urban Lab lowers barriers to innovation, rigorously testing solutions and preparing markets to adopt impactful, sustainable technologies.
'Testing Yango Group's autonomous delivery robots at Expo City is one of many ways that our Urban Lab is setting the standard for cities of the future.'
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