World's first on-road delivery robot with AI unleashed in the US
Quietly previewed last month, the Vayu One on-road delivery robot with AI now debuts as the first real-world application of such an autonomous delivery robot in the US. According to Vayu Robotics, this robot brings together multiple modern AI foundation models "in a move to slash the cost of e-commerce deliveries" that has the potential to attract many other companies into this emerging market sector.
Vayu Robotics has decided to use low-cost passive sensors for its first product instead of going with a more expensive LIDAR system. Combined with a transformer-based mobility foundation model, Vayu One's sensors allow it to operate without pre-mapping its routes. This robot is capable of carrying up to 100 lbs at under 20 mph and can also unload packages on driveways or porches as needed.
In the future, Vayu Robotics' passive sensors and AI technology could begin replacing LIDAR solutions for third parties as well. The company's technology could also help increase the availability and reliability of robot designs that are less popular for the time being. "Our software is robot form factor agnostic and we have already deployed it across several wheeled form factors. In the near future, Vayu's software technology will enable the movement of quadrupedal and bipedal robots, allowing us to expand into those markets as well," says Vayu co-founder Anand Gopalan.
Currently priced at $424 on Amazon, the Shark AV2501AE robot vacuum with LIDAR navigation could be one of the many robots to take advantage of the technology being developed by Vayu Robotics.
Source(s)
Vayu Robotics (via email)
Vayu Robotics debuts the world's first on-road Delivery Robot powered by AI Robotics foundation models
Vayu Robotics wins large commercial contract as it launches first-in-kind on-road Delivery Robot that combines AI models with low-cost sensing
Bay Area, San Francisco - July 23, 2024; Consumers rely on e-commerce platforms to deliver groceries, electronics, apparel and more everyday. And while the number of deliveries is skyrocketing — by 2027, 23% of American retail purchases are expected to take place online — cost per delivery remains stubbornly high. In a move to slash the cost of e-commerce deliveries, Vayu Robotics has announced the release of the world's first on-road Delivery Robot that combines the power of modern AI foundation models with lidar-less, low-cost passive sensors.
Traditional mobile robotics rely on costly lidar sensors and software modules built to do one task at a time, leading to expensive hardware and fragile software unable to handle new scenarios. Vayu's robot does the opposite. The company has combined a transformer-based mobility foundation model with a powerful passive sensor that, together, eliminate the need for lidar. As a result, Vayu's Delivery Robot operates autonomously without pre-mapping the roads it intends to drive on and is capable of navigating inside stores, on city streets, and unloading packages on driveways or porches, carrying up to 100 lbs at under 20mph. This model is the first-of-its-kind, offering the most cost-effective, safe, reliable delivery system on the market.
Vayu was co-founded by three highly-seasoned veterans from the robotics and mobility industry, Anand Gopalan, former CEO who took the world's leading lidar supplier Velodyne public in 2020, Mahesh Krishnamurthi, formerly Apple SPG and Lyft, and Nitish Srivastava, also from Apple SPG and Geoffrey Hinton's renowned AI lab in the University of Toronto. Geoffrey Hinton is also an advisor to the company. After working in major robotics and autonomy software for two decades, the trio realized large volume robotics applications, like robotics delivery, could only be unlocked by inventing a new technology stack that involved lower cost hardware and more robust software.
"The unique set of technologies we have developed at Vayu have allowed us to solve problems that have plagued delivery robots over the past decade, and finally create a solution that can actually be deployed at scale and enable the cheap transport of goods everywhere" says Vayu Robotics CEO, Anand Gopalan.
Vayu's Delivery Robots are already being debuted in real-world applications. The company recently signed a substantial commercial agreement with a large e-commerce player to deploy 2500 robots to enable ultra-fast goods delivery, with similar commercial customers in the pipeline. The team is also working with a leading global robotics manufacturer to replace lidar sensors with Vayu's sensing technology for other robotic applications.
"At Khosla Ventures, we believe in backing businesses where critical and differentiated technologies can unlock a large market. Vayu is a great example of this where they have deployed novel sensing and their AI foundation models to a robotic challenge that can have immense economic and societal impact" said Kanu Gulati, Partner at Khosla Ventures.
Anand Gopalan added: "Our software is robot form factor agnostic and we have already deployed it across several wheeled form factors.In the near future, Vayu's software technology will enable the movement of quadrupedal and bipedal robots, allowing us to expand into those markets as well."
Vayu has previously raised $12.7 million to fuel its mission to remove the hardware and software bottlenecks that have stunted the growth of e-commerce. Looking ahead, Vayu's founders believe their revolutionary low-cost robotics nervous system can power a new wave of mobile robots in other use cases, too. "Autonomous delivery robots are only the tip of the iceberg," said Anand Gopalan. With its cutting-edge innovation and deployment, Vayu is poised to lead the adoption of real-world robotics across industries. For now, Vayu's scalable robotics architecture is set to empower small businesses to deliver products to their customers' doorstep seamlessly.
About Vayu Robotics
Vayu Robotics is an AI company driven by the belief that the next wave of robotics solutions can be low cost, environmentally sustainable and inherently scalable. Vayu envisions a world where a new wave of intelligent systems will advance safe and sustainable human productivity. Vayu is building the foundation model for robotics – the next generation of AI to power perception and motion. Vayu's team of engineers, technologists and business leaders come with decades of experience that bring together the best in machine learning, sensing and production, enabling the development of technology that will democratize robotics for widespread adoption. Vayu is backed by Khosla Ventures and Lockheed Martin Ventures.
