Technologies are constantly evolving, as are we. Although the advancement in technology can sometimes seem bad, it can also help promote safety and provide services that have never been done before. Recently in Frisco, Starship Technologies has started testing its innovative self-driving food delivery robots. As our world continues to change, Starship is ready for it, with unique ideas that will be sure to shape the future.
History
Co-Founders of Skype, Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, helped create the company in July of 2014, with Lex Bayer joining as CEO in 2018. Starship Technologies has worked for over 5 years to spread their work all around the world. Their work has been used in over 20 countries and 100 cities! The company has received over $40 million dollars in funding throughout their work to deliver food and groceries to people in the surrounding areas.
Description
Weighing 44 pounds and standing almost 2 feet tall and 2 feet in length, Starship’s self-driving machine drives at 4 miles per hour packed with sensors all over its body. There is an advanced mapping AI system equipped in the robot, allowing it to understand its location and slowly form an idea, frame by frame, of where it is. With each bot costing approximately 55 hundred dollars, thousands of robots have been produced and served over the years.
Location
These robots may be small, but they are working their way up to deliver to a large number of homes. At the moment, you can find a bunch of these robots around Main and Teel, slowly zooming through the sidewalks, streets, and crosswalks. They will deliver food to places within a 4-mile radius; and if the restaurant is in a partnership with the company. This means that only a few restaurants are working with Starship, so you can’t get any food that you might desire until the company expands more. A few of the restaurants and food stores that are participating include Fuzzy’s Taco, K-Pop Burger, Hareli Fresh Market, Hurts Donut, and Chicken Express. More places are soon to come!
Ordering
Not only are these robots self-driving, but the ordering process is quite simple and easy! If you download Starship’s app, you can find places to order from and choose what you would like. You can customize specific orders and choose delivery times. From there, you can track the robot’s entire journey from the restaurant to your front doorstep, with delivery within an hour! For $2 per each delivery (on top of the cost of the food), Starship Technologies is sure to help deliver safe food at a low price.
Safety
They also know how to cross through roads and pay attention to cars or other roadblocks. They operate at a safe, regular walking speed and carry up to 25 pounds. If a robot were to bump into somebody, the amount of force used is about the same to break an egg; but this situation would only happen if all sensors fail. If needed, workers are constantly on standby to take control of the robot in case of emergencies. Starship Technologies also finds pride in its methodical, eco-friendly, reliable robots that not only are cost-efficient but also help keep the planet beautifully clean.
A Cause of Harm and Competition?
Even though these machines are a huge advancement in the world of technology, some Frisco residents aren’t too sold on the idea. One Frisco civilian said, “I don’t want to have to run or walk around a whole bunch of robots. I also don’t trust them to stay out of my way when I’m driving.” Food delivery services such as UberEats, GrubHub, and DoorDash are all competitors of this new delivery system. Starship has one feature that these companies do not: A lack of human interaction. During such a frantic time, the last thing some people would like is to have strangers dealing with their food. This is where {arguably} Starship has an advantage in the competition.
With a common focus on social distancing and staying safe while at home, these delivery robots are one of the first steps to a safe, healthy community.