Tuesday, 04 July 2017

Ocado trials self-driving vehicles

Reuters reports that Ocado has been trialling self-driving vehicles over the past two weeks.

The vehicles comprise eight containers which are able to carry up to 128kg of home delivery goods.

'It seemed like a really exciting experience', Tobie Cusson said of the CargoPod trial in South London, 'I despise paying delivery fees when I order online so any types of technology that can reduce the cost of providing a delivery service are very attractive to me'.

The system uses a system of lights to show the consumer which containers to open using a button. The vehicle includes cameras and LiDAR sensors to detect any obstacles.

Although the vehicles are self-driving, in order to comply with regulations, an Ocado delivery person was on board to oversee the trials. Ocado's chief technology officer Paul Clarke says the technology will be in place to roll out driverless deliveries by 2021.

'It's not going to become ubiquitous but there are certain areas where it makes sense to do this,'

Last month the government outlined plans for an Automated and Electrical Vehicles Bill which is aimed at boosting the self-driving industry, which it says will be worth £28bn by 2035.