The Rev-1 may not be as exciting as some of the other autonomous delivery robots, but it just might work, assuming it doesn’t snow where you live. And you need a bike lane.
From an article in Smart Cities World.
Low-cost, lightweight autonomous delivery robots that can operate in both the bike lane and on the roadway has been launched at the TechCrunch Mobility event.
Refraction AI, founded by University of Michigan professors Matthew Johnson-Roberson and Ram Vasudevan, has developed the Rev-1 solution for last-mile logistics. The company is backed by eLab Ventures and Trucks Venture Capital.
Additional safety features
The Rev-1 uses a system of 12 cameras as its primary sensor system, along with radar and ultrasound sensors for additional safety. Additionally, this system enables Refraction’s platform to navigate in rain or snow, and is not dependent on traditional HD Lidar maps.
Approximately the size of an electric bicycle, Refraction’s first self-driving delivery robot has three wheels and stands 5ft tall, 4.5ft long and 30in wide. It weighs approximately 100lbs and can reach a speed of up to 15mph. Its creators claim it has the shortest stopping distance of any autonomous vehicle on the road.
“Our vehicle’s low curb weight at low speeds makes deployment safer than other autonomous vehicles. For example, we have a 5ft stopping distance, compared to the typical 45ft stopping distance that a full-sized vehicle at the same speed would need to avoid an accident,” said Johnson-Roberson. “Finally, our design and technical choices, particularly relying on cameras over HD-LIDAR, allow us to operate a more economical platform that gives us a significant competitive advantage on cost efficiency.”
For the full article click here.
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