Dubai to trial FedEx's delivery robot soon

Transportation company FedEx Express will launch the first international trial of its delivery robot in Dubai, it was announced on Wednesday. The company, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp, said the autonomous trial for Roxo, the SameDay Bot, will be conducted in the Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) community.

The company is collaborating with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) for the trial.

Roxo is designed to be a personal delivery device. It makes local same-day deliveries autonomously to customers’ homes and businesses. Human teleoperators are available if intervention is needed.

The 157-cm bot is battery-powered and weighs 204kg. It can carry deliveries up to 45kg. Its versatile wheelbase can maneuver through rough and uneven surfaces, and also climb up and descend from pavements.

The Dubai trial will see an optimised route created along footpaths and roadsides. “Using technologies such as laser detection and ranging sensors (LiDAR), multiple cameras, and radar, and coupled with machine-learning algorithms to avoid obstacles, Roxo, with the assistance of human teleoperators, will navigate a safe path to replicate a door-to-door delivery experience,” FedEx said.

The delivery bot will shuttle between Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai Digital Park, marking the first time that Roxo’s autonomous capabilities are tested outside the US.

“Dubai, with its world-class infrastructure and highly adaptable market for new technologies, is an ideal location for the international mapping and testing of the Roxo autonomous bot. The support of the DIEZ and the RTA will be vital to the successful completion of the trial,” said Taarek Hinedi, vice-president of FedEx Express Middle East and Africa operations.

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The RTA has supported in conducting risk and safety assessments and identifying a suitable location and route in liaison with FedEx Express and DIEZ for the trial. The authority has also identified various cases and scenarios which will help evaluate the readiness of such operations.

Khaled Al Awadhi, director of Transportation Systems, RTA, said: "The first mile last mile delivery bots have a huge potential to bring convenience and faster service to different communities in Dubai. We are delighted to bring self-driving technology to our customers and public at large.”

The Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy aims to have 25 per cent of the total trips in the emirate through autonomous modes of transportation by 2030.

• Dubai