Lithuania has made a breakthrough in transportation technology, becoming the first European country to allow driverless delivery robots to operate on public roads. This news marks a significant moment for the logistics industry and could mark the beginning of a new chapter in the delivery of goods.
The project
The project was launched by the Lithuanian supermarket chain Iki, in collaboration with LastMile, a startup specializing in deliveries. For two months, a small fleet of three autonomous vehicles will drive around central Vilnius, delivering groceries from one of the chain's supermarkets. Each “outing” of the driverless robot will be able to serve seven customers in a single trip.
The cost to customers? Zero. “We could have a significant advantage in the area of grocery delivery: even in the city center, even during peak hours, customers will receive their goods quickly,” he said Tadas Norusaitis, CEO and co-founder of LastMile.
Vilnius is officially the first city in Europe that has a driverless vehicle delivery service.
Driverless delivery technology
The autonomous vehicles at the heart of the project were developed by Clevon, a startup based in Estonia. The driverless “delivery boys” will supposedly travel at speeds of up to 25 kilometers per hour. They are equipped with 360-degree cameras and special sensors, and will be monitored in real time by teleoperators.
The use of 3 vehicles in real scenarios is certainly a significant (if we want, historic) step for European logistics. For LastMile, however, it is "only" the second phase of a plan that aims to deliver goods to all of its 300.000 registered users.
For two months these cars will be serious, with heavy traffic and unexpected events around every corner. Hopefully, however, the future has started for the first delivery in Europe.
