The Estonian company Cleveron has unveiled its new unmanned semi-autonomous last-mile delivery vehicle, the Cleveron 701. It enables businesses to meet the growing demand for same-day delivery driven by the recent acceleration of e-commerce and the rapidly changing retail landscape. Cleveron has also received the first license in Europe to test drive an unmanned vehicle on the streets of Estonia last year without restrictions.
Cleveron 701 is a modified vehicle designed for retailers and logistics companies looking to boost last-mile delivery solutions and efficiencies. The company notes that the unmanned robot courier can drive in low traffic areas, like suburbs, to deliver within the 15-30 min driving range of a retailer, fulfillment center, or a dark store.
The lightweight, electric vehicle with an option to use different rechargeable batteries can transport loads up to 200 kg from a warehouse or store to nearby customers within an hour. Its maximum speed does not exceed 50 km/h (31 mph). The operator can simultaneously remotely control up to 10 such devices.
Cleveron 701 is also designed as an adaptable, semi-autonomous platform to which the operator can add suitable modifications for serving different delivery needs. It can be modified to operate as a grocery delivery robot with temperature-controlled sections, a parcel delivery vehicle, or even a high-tech coffee robot or an ice cream truck. What’s more, consumers can get groceries, parcels, restaurant deliveries, or even ice cream from an environmentally friendly delivery robot.
The company does not disclose which set of sensors the robot uses for autonomous driving. Based on photos and images of prototypes, it uses multiple cameras, but no lidars are visible, which are used by almost all developers of self-driving cars or delivery robots that drive on the roads.
“We are very proud to announce Cleveron’s latest innovation in the autonomous delivery vehicle market. With our new driverless semi-autonomous vehicle, we are enabling retailers and logistics companies to solve complex and costly last-mile delivery challenges while satisfying consumer demand for same day, and in some cases, same hour deliveries,” said Cleveron’s CEO Arno Kütt.
Cleveron notes that it has been testing the robot in the Estonian city of Viljandi for six months and plans to continue testing further. It is scheduled to begin mass production in 2023.
