Vayu Robotics has launched the first curbside delivery robot that combines AI models with low-cost sensing, winning a major commercial contract.
SAN FRANCISCO / ACCESSWIRE / July 23, 2024 / Consumers rely on e-commerce platforms for daily deliveries of groceries, electronics, clothing and more. Delivery volumes are skyrocketing, with 23% of U.S. retail purchases expected to occur online by 2027, yet the cost per delivery remains high. In a move to drastically reduce the cost of e-commerce delivery, Vayu Robotics announced the release of the world’s first curbside delivery robot that combines the power of modern AI-based models with low-cost passive sensors that don’t require LIDAR.
Vayu’s delivery robot is equipped with the world’s first automatic baggage unloading mechanism
Traditional mobile robots rely on expensive LiDAR sensors and software modules built to perform one task at a time, resulting in expensive hardware and fragile software that makes them unable to adapt to new scenarios. Vayu’s robots are the opposite. The company has combined a transformer-based mobility foundation model with powerful passive sensors to eliminate the need for LiDAR. As a result, Vayu’s delivery robots can operate autonomously without pre-mapping the roads they will travel, navigate stores and city streets, drop off packages on driveways and porches, and carry up to 100 pounds at speeds under 20 miles per hour. This model is the first of its kind to offer the most cost-effective, safe and reliable delivery system on the market.
Vayu Robotics Founders: (L-R) Mahesh Krishnamurthi, Nitish Srivastava, Anand Gopalan
Vayu was co-founded by three veterans of the robotics and mobility industry: Anand Gopalan, former CEO of Velodyne, the world’s leading LiDAR supplier that took it public in 2020; Mahesh Krishnamurthi, formerly of Apple SPG and Lyft; and Nitish Srivastava, also of Apple SPG and Geoffrey Hinton’s renowned AI lab at the University of Toronto. Geoffrey Hinton also serves as an advisor to the company. After two decades working in leading robotics and autonomous software, the three realized that to enable large-scale robotics applications such as robotic delivery, they needed to invent a new technology stack that included lower-cost hardware and more robust software.
“At Vayu, we have developed a unique technology that allows us to solve problems that have plagued delivery robots for the last decade, finally creating a solution that can be deployed at scale in real life to cheaply transport goods anywhere,” said Anand Gopalan, CEO of Vayu Robotics.
Introducing the world’s first roadside delivery robot that combines the power of modern AI-based models with low-cost passive sensors that don’t require LIDAR.
Vayu’s delivery robots are already being deployed in real-world applications: the company recently signed a major commercial deal with a major e-commerce company to deploy 2,500 robots to enable lightning-fast product delivery, with more commercial customers in the works. The team is also working with one of the world’s leading robot manufacturers to replace LiDAR sensors with Vayu’s sensing technology for other robotics applications.
“At Khosla Ventures, we believe in backing companies that can carve out large markets with significant, differentiated technology. Vayu is a great example of this. The company has deployed novel sensing technology and AI-based models to robotics problems that have the potential to have a significant economic and societal impact,” said Kanu Gulati, Partner at Khosla Ventures.
Anand Gopalan added: “Our software is robot form factor agnostic and has already been deployed on several wheeled form factors. In the near future, Vayu’s software technology will enable quadrupedal and bipedal robot movements, enabling us to penetrate those markets as well.”
Vayu has raised $12.7 million to date to further its mission of removing the hardware and software bottlenecks that have hindered the growth of e-commerce. Looking to the future, Vayu’s founders believe their innovative, low-cost robotic nervous system can drive a new wave of mobile robots in other use cases as well. “Autonomous delivery robots are just the tip of the iceberg,” says Anand Gopalan. With cutting-edge innovation and deployment, Vayu is poised to lead the adoption of real-world robots across industries. For now, Vayu’s scalable robotic architecture empowers small businesses to seamlessly deliver products to customers’ doorsteps.
About Vayu Robotics
Vayu Robotics is an AI company driven by the belief that next-generation robotics solutions will be low-cost, environmentally sustainable, and inherently scalable. Vayu envisions a world where new intelligent systems enhance human productivity in a safe and sustainable way. Vayu is building next-generation AI to enhance the foundational model of robotics: perception and action. Vayu’s team of engineers, technologists, and business leaders have decades of experience bringing together the best of machine learning, sensing, and production to enable the development of technologies that democratize robotics for widespread adoption. Vayu is backed by Khosla Ventures and Lockheed Martin Ventures. For more information, please visit https://www.vayurobotics.com/.
contact address
Vayu Robotics
Bilal Mahmoud
+44 7714 007257
[email protected]
Company website
https://www.vayurobotics.com/
Source: VAYU ROBOTICS
