Yandex is testing autonomous delivery robots at its Moscow HQ
It may eventually offer Yandex.Rover to other companies.
Delivery robots from Amazon, Postmates and Starship are already in the wild, but they're not the only ones with self-driving couriers. Another tech giant, Yandex, is working on its own autonomous package carrier, called Yandex.Rover.
Its self-driving division is trialing Yandex.Rovers (which are based on the same tech as the cars) at the company's Moscow headquarters. For now, they're carrying documents to a shuttle that connects Yandex offices throughout the city. The robot can plan its route, detect and bypass obstacles and give pedestrians and pets the right of way.
Yandex.Rover, which is about the size of a suitcase, rolls along at walking pace and can even operate in the dark because it uses LiDAR to navigate. Given Moscow's climate, it'll be put to the test in a variety of weather conditions.
While the robot travels autonomously, it'll remain under remote supervision during testing. The company hopes to use Yandex.Rover for restaurant, grocery and meal-kit deliveries, as well as for its online store Beru and in its warehouse. It might sell robots to other companies, too.
