Snapdeal partners with Ottonomy.IO for last-mile deliveries using robots

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, working together is success” – Henry Ford

Yup, You guessed it right! This quote signifies partnership & is followed by most colossal players who are currently showing their dominance in the volatile technological era. The current trend that we all following in the tech industry is, big shots are collaborating with potential startups to expand their reach. In return, the startups also grow at an exponential rate with unceasing support. Let’s talk about the recent buzz that’s been floating around – Snapdeal partners with Ottonomy.IO for last-mile deliveries using robots.

The Big Buzz!

Ottonomy.IO is a home-grown mobility startup. That builds autonomous robot fleets to make contactless deliveries for safe & enhanced user experience, saving millions of dollars for organizations working in various domains like eCom, logistics, retail industries, to name a few. Snapdeal – India’s one of the leading eCommerce marketplace has partnered with Ottonomy.IO to test last-mile contactless deliveries using robots. These robots are equipped with UV rays to disinfect that package while navigating to the specific delivery location. Both Snapdeal & Ottonomy.IO have claimed that this in-built disinfectant feature is a first-of-its-kind initiative for safety that will be the mother of invention of more dynamic elements in the future.

How will Robot-As-A-Service (RAAS) work?

The robots are programmed with fully functional and specialized AI algorithms to navigate, especially in crowded areas. Using Machine Learning, these robots fuse data from the 3D projections captured from the camera to have a robust understanding of the external world.

The robots can navigate along sidewalks and local streets to deliver the orders of the customers. Once the robot arrives at the doorstep, the customer gets a notification with a message containing a unique QR code; since the robots carry multiple packages at a time, the QR code, while scanning, unlocks the specific package tray, includes the order placed by the customer.

Ottonomy.IO conducted delivery experiments with Snapdeal in selected locations of New Delhi, India. The robots were stationed at the entrance of various residential societies, wherein an agent scanned a QR code & placed the package inside. Equipped the society’s map, the robot successfully navigated to reach the customer & disinfected the box on its way. The robots can be remotely monitored & controlled if human intervention is required as well.

Time for a Revolution:

Organizations are investing heavily in AI & Machine Learning to develop future-oriented capabilities. The partnership between Snapdeal & Ottonomy.IO to test the last-mile deliveries using autonomous robots is the first step towards logistics’ evolving future. 

One of the Snapdeal spokespeople said – “We believe that delivery robots will play a vital role in e-commerce deliveries in large townships, educational institutions, and other residential environments. Delivery via autonomous robots is a step in building a safer & convenient future for shoppers”.

Currently, the startup is running operations in the US, Europe & India. Ottonomy.IO owns the design’s IP and has a proprietary software stack fused with AI programs to enable fleet management and route optimization. Contactless delivery is the need of the hour to ensure shopper’s safety. Automating the last-mile delivery process using robots will empower the safety measures for the shoppers.

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