The San Francisco Bay Area startup that announced its on-road robot on Tuesday believes it has found a solution to the high costs of shipping products ordered online.
The four-wheeled robot is made by Vayu Robotics The model uses a powerful passive sensor instead of the expensive LiDAR typically used in on-road driverless cars.
LiDAR uses laser light for remote sensing. It can measure distances, and produce high-resolution pictures of objects or environments. It uses laser pulses to detect reflected signals and create accurate 3D maps and analyses of targets.
Anand Gopalan, CEO and co-founder of Vayu, explained that people use LiDAR cameras because they are known to fail in low light or harsh weather conditions.
He told the E-Commerce Times that with LiDAR you have to choose between high-performance LiDARs that are difficult to produce and costly or low-performance LiDARs that are easy to make.
He said that when you add LiDAR to a robot the cost increases by between $10,000 and $15,000 “That’s prohibitively costly for applications such as delivery.”
Promising Innovation
Vayu explained, in a recent statement, that traditional mobile robotics are reliant on expensive LiDAR sensor and software modules designed to accomplish a specific task. This results in expensive hardware and fragile programs that cannot handle new scenarios.
Vayu’s Foundation Model, the machine-learning tech at the heart generative AI, in combination with a powerful, passive sensor, eliminates LiDAR. Vayu’s delivery robot can now operate autonomously, without having to pre-map the roads that it will be driving on. It can drive on city streets and inside stores. It can also unload packages onto driveways or porches.
The company claims that its delivery robots have already been used in real-world situations. It also said it had recently signed an important commercial agreement with a big ecommerce player (which it did not identify by name) to deploy 2,500 robots in order to facilitate ultra-fast deliveries. Similar commercial agreements are on the way.
It added that the team was also working with an international robotics manufacturer on replacing LiDAR sensors for other robotic applications with Vayu’s sensing technology.
Mark N. Vena (President and Principal Analyst at): “Vayu is a promising innovation for autonomous delivery. It combines AI with cost-effective sensor technologies to provide a competitive alternative to LiDAR systems.” SmartTech Research The E-Commerce Times reported that Las Vegas was a major tourist destination.
He added, “However,” “it must navigate a number of challenges and risks in order to achieve widespread acceptance and success.”
Could speed up robot deployments?
Rob Enderle President and principal analyst, The Enderle GroupVayu, a Bend, Oregon-based advisory services firm, said that if Vayu’s technology is scaled up, it will significantly lower the cost of these robots and speed their deployment in areas in which the robots are useful.
He told E-Commerce Times that LiDAR is effective, but also expensive, and it’s necessary to have several sensors on each vehicle in order to get adequate coverage. The navigation system is one of the most expensive systems on a robot delivery, so this would significantly reduce the cost.
Sam Abuelsamid – principal analyst of eMobility at Guidehouse InsightsA market intelligence company based in Detroit.
He told E-Commerce Times: “It is possible to use only cameras, but they have to be configured into stereo pairs for accurate range measurements.” “When you have each camera facing a completely different direction and rely on AI, the accuracy will be lower.” It is more likely to mistakenly identify a photo of someone standing on the side of a vehicle as a pedestrian.
He declared that “Radar and LiDAR combined with cameras are a superior safety solution.”
He also said that LiDAR prices have fallen dramatically. Hesai LiDAR costs less than $500, while RoboSense LiDAR costs around $1,000.
Challenges in Regulatory and Operational Issues
Vayu robots are not only able to save companies money by reducing component costs. Vena explained that passive sensors are typically less expensive to maintain and more durable. This leads to lower operating costs and greater reliability.
Passive sensors can have a downside. Vena said that “these sensors offer less accuracy and details than LiDAR, which could affect Vayu’s ability to detect obstacles and navigate effectively under certain conditions.”
“Environmental Factors such as Lighting, Weather [conditions]He explained that dynamic obstacles and static obstacles could affect the robot’s performance. This raises safety concerns.
He added that “developing robust AI algorithm to compensate for the absence of LiDAR” is both technically difficult and resource-intensive. This requires significant investment in research to ensure reliable operation.
Delivery robots face a number of operational and regulatory challenges. Abuelsamid said that many cities have regulations about the places where these bots are allowed to operate. “Sometimes they’re not allowed on bike lanes or sidewalks,” he explained. “And there are roads where 20-mph robots might not be permitted.”
He added, “There is also the issue of someone being available to accept deliveries.” “A passenger can exit a robotaxi, and receive deliveries.” [leave]. A bot can only remove packages if someone is at the delivery destination. If no one is present when the bot makes a delivery, it could have to return or wait.
Opportunities Available
Vena said that Vayu’s bot could open up a number of opportunities despite the challenges faced by delivery bots.
He said that “its cost advantage allows for it to penetrate new market, including small and medium-sized businesses who previously found robotic delivery systems prohibitively expensive.”
He continued, “There are opportunities for partnerships and collaborative efforts with other technology firms to enhance Vayu’s capabilities and expand its application.” Vayu’s statement explained that the technology it uses is form-factor insensitive, meaning it can be used on a variety of robots including bipedal, wheeled and quadrupedal.
Gopalan said that “anywhere you use LiDAR to measure short-to-mid-depth, our technology can replace these depth sensors. It may even provide a more robust output at a cost comparable to a standard camera.”
Vena warned of the risks that come along with opportunities, including navigating regulatory environments, ensuring market acceptability, and competing against companies using advanced sensors technologies. “To be successful,” he said “Vayu has to stay on top of technological advancements, and deal with potential security threats associated with cyberthreats.”
Editor’s Note: Vayu Robotics provided the Vayu video and photo featured in this post.
