Self-driving robots have started delivering parcels in certain Moscow neighborhoods after tech giant Yandex NV teamed up with the state-run Russian Post, the companies said yesterday.
Yandex, which operates a raft of services from online search to ride-hailing, has used robots for food delivery in Russia and on some US college campuses in a partnership with GrubHub, but a partnership with the Russian postal service could widen their reach.
Yandex and Russian Post said in a statement that 36 rectangular, suitcase-sized robots would initially deliver from 27 post offices in several districts of the Russian capital as part of a pilot project, with parcel recipients able to select robot delivery using an app.
Photo: Reuters
Users can track the six-wheeled robots as they trundle across town and can access their parcel using a unique verification code.
“Every part of the logistics chain can be automated, and technologies are changing processes at every stage: from the first to the last mile,” Russian Post innovation head Stanislav Chernin said.
Russian Post has more than 38,000 branches across the world’s largest country and handles nearly 109 million parcels each year. The use of robots or drones could be a cost-effective way to offer services in remote or sparsely populated areas.
Britain’s Royal Mail PLC has used a drone to deliver to a Scottish isle, while Japan Post Holdings Co is testing the use of drones and expects them to start delivering mail and packages in 2023.
Separately, Softbank Group Corp is in talks to sell the Paris-based robotics business behind its Pepper android to Germany’s United Robotics Group, according to sources and documents reviewed by Reuters, scaling back a business it once touted as a growth driver.
The talks are ongoing and plans could change, said two sources familiar with the matter, who declined to be named as they are not permitted to speak to the media.
It is not clear how much the deal would be worth.
United Robotics Group, which is backed by German industrial robot maker Hahn, became the European master distributor for Softbank’s struggling Pepper and Nao robots in October last year.
United Robotics declined to comment, while Softbank has said that it remains committed to the Pepper business.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) yesterday said that its research institute has launched its first advanced artificial intelligence (AI) large language model (LLM) using traditional Chinese, with technology assistance from Nvidia Corp. Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), said the LLM, FoxBrain, is expected to improve its data analysis capabilities for smart manufacturing, and electric vehicle and smart city development. An LLM is a type of AI trained on vast amounts of text data and uses deep learning techniques, particularly neural networks, to process and generate language. They are essential for building and improving AI-powered servers. Nvidia provided assistance
DOMESTIC SUPPLY: The probe comes as Donald Trump has called for the repeal of the US$52.7 billion CHIPS and Science Act, which the US Congress passed in 2022 The Office of the US Trade Representative is to hold a hearing tomorrow into older Chinese-made “legacy” semiconductors that could heap more US tariffs on chips from China that power everyday goods from cars to washing machines to telecoms equipment. The probe, which began during former US president Joe Biden’s tenure in December last year, aims to protect US and other semiconductor producers from China’s massive state-driven buildup of domestic chip supply. A 50 percent US tariff on Chinese semiconductors began on Jan. 1. Legacy chips use older manufacturing processes introduced more than a decade ago and are often far simpler than
STILL HOPEFUL: Delayed payment of NT$5.35 billion from an Indian server client sent its earnings plunging last year, but the firm expects a gradual pickup ahead Asustek Computer Inc (華碩), the world’s No. 5 PC vendor, yesterday reported an 87 percent slump in net profit for last year, dragged by a massive overdue payment from an Indian cloud service provider. The Indian customer has delayed payment totaling NT$5.35 billion (US$162.7 million), Asustek chief financial officer Nick Wu (吳長榮) told an online earnings conference. Asustek shipped servers to India between April and June last year. The customer told Asustek that it is launching multiple fundraising projects and expected to repay the debt in the short term, Wu said. The Indian customer accounted for less than 10 percent to Asustek’s
Gasoline and diesel prices this week are to decrease NT$0.5 and NT$1 per liter respectively as international crude prices continued to fall last week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) said yesterday. Effective today, gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to decrease to NT$29.2, NT$30.7 and NT$32.7 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, while premium diesel is to cost NT$27.9 per liter at CPC stations and NT$27.7 at Formosa pumps, the companies said in separate statements. Global crude oil prices dropped last week after the eight OPEC+ members said they would
RSS