Category: Robotics

Electric cars with autopilot have not yet become commonplace on public roads, but they no longer cause much trepidation. However, when an unconventional, tiny Nuro R2 vehicle hits the road, it will at least attract your attention. And when you see that there is no driver or passengers in this car, but only goods on their way from stores to customers, you may be surprised even more. As soon it becomes obvious to you that this humble car is meant to redefine the AV delivery industry and make the world a slightly more comfortable and safer place, you are likely to take an interest and respect for it and its creators. That interest is further fueled by the fact that this year, Nuro, the car’s developer, was named winner of the World Future Awards in the category of Self-Driving Vehicle That Delivers Products to Buyers.

Nuro R1. First generation

Nuro is an autonomous delivery company founded in 2016 by former Google employees Dave Ferguson and Jiajun Zhu, who worked on the Google self-driving car project, now known as Waymo. In 2018, the firm unveiled its prototype robotic delivery vehicle R1. This electric robotic delivery vehicle was designed solely for delivery services, with no driver or passenger seating.

The R1 was equipped with a full set of radar, sonar, and lidar to move fully on the roadway, obeying all traffic rules and not endangering other road users and pedestrians. The R1 had extremely compact dimensions, with its height below the average human height and width of less than a meter. The refusal to carry passengers made the car much cheaper to produce and eliminated a number of complexities in design and operation.

Nuro R2

In 2020, the Nuro team unveiled a new, improved autonomous delivery vehicle, the R2. This generation features a stronger body, a 360-degree vision system that represents the road without any blind spots, a new sensor system, increased interior space without increasing the vehicle’s dimensions, and increased battery capacity to run all day.

Nuro has received permits from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to test the R2 on public roads as a self-driving car without mirrors or pedals. In doing so, the R2 travels at speeds of no more than 25 miles per hour.

Philosophy

R2 is an effective tool with which the Nuro team fulfills its mission of improving everyday life through robotics. Autonomous vehicle delivery offers a new approach to local commerce, providing faster, more convenient, more economical, and safer delivery of goods from stores directly to customers. It allows users to use conventional cars less, unload roads, and free up their own time to devote to the people and activities they love.

How it works

Nuro has teamed up with popular brands to deliver sought-after products fully autonomously and safely. Its list of partners includes Walmart, FedEx, Chipotle, Domino’s, Kroger, and CVS Pharmacy. Customizable compartments and a large payload allow the R2 to carry a wide range of loads, from pizzas to large grocery bags.

To use R2’s services, users must place a delivery order with one of the listed partners and select «Self-Driving Vehicle.» Once Nuro’s self-driving bot picks up the order and sets off, the user will receive a link to track the vehicle. When the R2 arrives at the address, Nuro will send the user a message with an access code that must be entered in order to receive the order. To avoid confusion and to ensure the safety of goods, different orders are neatly separated from each other inside the vehicle.

Nuro currently provides fully autonomous delivery to customers in Houston, Silicon Valley, and Greater Phoenix.

Over the past few years, the food delivery industry has become an impressive testing ground for innovative technological solutions in logistics, robotics, workflow design and more. Coco, a leading robotic delivery service, is a shining representative of the industry, offering an elegant solution that combines robotics and human capabilities to deliver orders more quickly and safely than car-based delivery. This year, Coco’s efforts were recognized by the World Future Awards research team, who named the company the winner in the Last-Mile Delivery Automation category.

World Future Awards is a global award selecting, recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the best products, software, and services that will transform the global economy and define the landscape of the future. The organization researches inventions across all categories, including technology, beauty, health care, food, home, and entertainment that make the world better, smarter or even a bit more fun.

Coco applies advanced technology and a human-centered approach to improve the quality of life for communities by deploying affordable, reliable and sustainable last-mile delivery vehicles. Its remote-controlled delivery robot, the Coco 1, was developed in partnership with micromobility manufacturer Segway and can hold up to four bags of groceries. The vehicle also has a three-mile range, several cameras and GPS sensors, and a double-insulated cargo to preserve food safety and quality.

Unlike other competitors in the market, Coco does not rely on autonomous technology to operate its robots. Instead, the company’s fleet is driven remotely by human pilots via teleoperation technology and a 360-degree external camera view of real-time surroundings. This approach gives Coco complete control over its service quality and allows it to deploy at scale in urban environments while collecting invaluable real-world delivery data. Its friendly-looking robots are also crowd-pleasers that attract plenty of pedestrian attention as they safely deliver food with a 97% on-time rate. Coco currently operates in Los Angeles, Austin, and Houston, with plans for expansion into other major U.S. cities on the horizon.

Art rarely becomes a natural part of everyday life. Great paintings occupy a place of honor on walls, sculptures remain silent on their pedestals, and timeless music delights the ear with its invisible beauty. But what if a work of art becomes a functional part of your interior, bringing a unique, meditative experience to your daily life? Sisyphus, the Kinetic Art Table, has combined art, technology, and design to bring peace and relaxation to your inner and outer space. This masterpiece of tradition and innovation was recognized as this year’s winner of World Future Awards in the category of Best Kinetic Table.

World Future Awards is a global award selecting, recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the best products, software, and services that will transform the global economy and define the landscape of the future. The organization researches inventions across all categories, including technology, beauty, health care, food, home, and entertainment, that are making the world better, smarter or even a bit more fun.

The creators of the Sisyphus Kinetic Table have harnessed advanced technology and creativity to fill your home with the enchanting and hypnotizing ancient aesthetic of the Zen garden. An age-old meditative tradition fused with the latest in science and technology, allowing the WFA Expert Board to appreciate the work and achievements of the Sisyphus team.

Sisyphus is a functional handcrafted kinetic table with a glass top, under which there is a thin layer of sand with a steel ball. The two-motor Sisbot robot installed under the table moves a magnet that pulls the ball along the sand. Moving through the sand along a preset trajectory, the ball «draws» mesmerizing patterns, drawings, or inscriptions. You can control the table with a mobile app or via a web browser by connecting to Sisyphus via WiFi. So you can select ready-made trajectories with the mobile app or add new paths you have made yourself.

Several table options are available in materials, lighting, and sizes. The base of the table can be made of metal or wood. Mostly RGBW lighting is used, but Natural White and Warm White options are also available.

If the world of the future is a better place where people can expect a more comfortable and safer life, then it is certain that Nuro is making that future closer every day. This autonomous delivery startup has already shown its capabilities in several communities, and the company is gaining momentum. This year, the World Future Awards are pleased to recognize the achievements of the Nuro team and the great potential of its technology and declare it the winner in the category of Self-Driving Vehicle That Delivers Products to Buyers.

World Future Awards is a global award selecting, recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the best products, software, and services that will transform the global economy and define the landscape of the future. The organization researches inventions across all categories, including technology, beauty, health care, food, home, and entertainment, that are making the world better, smarter, or even a bit more fun.

Nuro is a self-driving delivery firm founded in 2016 and based in Mountain View, California. The company sees its mission as providing a better daily life through robotics. To that end, the electric self-driving delivery vehicle R2 was developed and unveiled in 2020. The first areas where Nuro’s R2s hit the roads were Houston, Greater San Jose, and Greater Phoenix.

The R2 is a unique type of vehicle, designed exclusively to carry things but not people (drivers or passengers). The compact vehicle resembles a golf car in dimensions, much narrower and nimbler than a conventional passenger car. The Nuro team focused on the safety and well-being of other road users, the low cost of the vehicle, and the development of hardware and software for the further implementation of autonomous technologies.

Nuro currently cooperates with Domino’s, Walmart, Kroger, FedEx, Chipotle, and CVS Pharmacy. Partnerships with leading stores and services reduce the number of trips to stores, increase safety in neighborhoods, and give people more time to do the things they love to do.

To take advantage of offline delivery by R2, a user only needs to make an online order with one of Nuro’s partners. After placing an order for delivery, you must select «self-driving vehicle». Once R2 picks up the product, the buyer receives a link to track its movement and an access code to retrieve the order. When R2 arrives at the address, the user uses the access code and picks up their order, separated from other products in the vehicle.