amazon-scout

Amazon is trialling a fully-electric autonomous delivery robot called ‘Scout’ to take packages to their final destination.

Created by the online retailer, the delivery bots roll along the pavement at a walking pace and are being used to drop off packages in a neighbourhood in Snohomish County, Washington.

Customers order their goods as per normal online and they will then be delivered by a traditional courier company or directly by Amazon Scout.

Six devices are being tested, delivering packages Monday to Friday during daylight hours.

While they will autonomously follow the delivery route, an Amazon employee will accompany them on the trial.

Developed at Amazon’s R&D lab in Seattle, the firm said they have been designed to safely manouevre around pets, pedestrians and objects in their path.

Parcels firm Hermes has also carried out testing of parcels robots both in Germany and the UK.