How will autonomous delivery robots work in Fort Worth? Are they on the roads already?

Have the robots landed on Fort Worth Streets?

Not exactly. But prototypes of autonomous delivery vehicles are being tested by Clevon, an Estonia-based technology company, at its facilities in Northlake, a half hour drive north of downtown Fort Worth.

Clevon’s autonomous vehicles now roam the streets in cities across Europe. Their success on the continent prompted their journey to the U.S.

The tests performed by Clevon and Post Net, a parcel delivery service, in North Texas have had seen positive developments.

“We have found three things, (1) the community is very open to the concept, (2) the autonomous vehicle added value to the Post Net company, and (3) people liked the pick up feature due to convenience,” Meelis Anton, Clevon’s U.S. Chief Operating Director, told the Star Telegram.

Overall, the positive experience makes the product a future reality for North Texas.

So, how do these autonomous delivery robots work?

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Clevon 1: the autonomous delivery robot

First thing first. The public needs to know the technology exists — that it is real.

“I think the main goal right now is to show people that this is real,” said Anton, “the future is here and the technology is real.”

Think of a golf cart — 4 by 8 feet running at 18 mph. The smart car-looking vehicle has four wheels, headlights, 5 to 6 hours of charge, and compartments that can be configured into the size of any package.

Although Clevon kept mum on how much these robots costs, they did tell the Star Telegram that the more robots are produced, the cheaper they will become. And the same goes for companies interested in purchasing it, buying in bulk will keep costs down.

At the moment, the company is only manufacturing vehicles in Europe. According to Anton, the upward trend of positive results from U.S. tests forecasts an eventual assembly plant here in Fort Worth, which the company says, will mean the hiring of local workers.

The technology is conducive for a whole host of industries. Clevon is open to working with all different industries. So far in Europe, the robots have delivered packages, groceries, ready made meals, and have operated as messengers at industrial parks.

How long and how often the robots operate will depend on the needs of each company using them. They will return to designated charging stations when not in use.

Four robots are currently stationed in North Texas, running tests for Post Net.

Recipients access their delivery through an app or SMS message. From there, they will be alerted with a code once the robot arrives. To access the parcel, users type in the code on the door and then the compartment opens. The same process goes for outgoing parcels.

Where these autonomous vehicles travels in Fort Worth will be determined by the city.

City of Fort Worth on board with autonomous delivery robots

The Fort Worth Transportation and Public Works Department oversees transportation construction and infrastructure. It takes an army for one Amazon package to be delivered. The robots will help but not replace labor.

Kelly Porter, Fort Worth’s transportation planning manager, anticipates that robots will operate in bike lanes. In the future, infrastructure will account for lane sizes for the robots to stroll down.

The City of Fort Worth feels no rush to start up new technology. There is no set start date for when Clevon’s robots could start roaming city streets.

How do autonomous robots deliver?

Large corporations like T-Mobile, DHL shipping, and KFC have successfully used Clevon in various case studies. So how does the robot navigate a large city like Fort Worth?

• Robots are first programmed with the city’s map. The data of the city’s map is coupled with an algorithm that routes the best path. The autonomous robot then goes and does its thing.

• While operational, the robot uses two perceptions to navigate: It’s own programmed perception made up of GNSS and IMU software, and a camera and radar system.

• “Based on the collected data, current situation, and traffic laws, the robot predicts the movement of the surrounding objects,” Clevon’s explanation goes. From there, the robot’s speed and direction is determined for collision-free navigation.

• Based on all the above information, the steering and acceleration is determined.

The robot’s brian is aided by GNSS and IMU software. The GNSS allows for precision up to the centimeter of the surrounding environment. IMU provides the vehicles with data pertaining to acceleration and speed, accounting also for the GNSS. All this data combined created a collision free algorithm for Clevon autonomous robot deliveries.