As first reported by Robotics 24/7, FedEx is shutting down the development of its same-day delivery robot.
“FedEx has stepped back from the research and development program for a same day bot as we prioritize several nearer-term opportunities," FedEx said in a statement. "We are immensely proud of our role in working with Deka to advance this cutting-edge technology that has put it on the path to future implementation, and we remain committed to exploring last-mile innovations that align with our business strategy. The collaboration with Deka has been outstanding, and we will continue to explore compelling opportunities arising from the technologies we have developed together.”
Roxo was being developed with Manchester's Deka Research & Development Corp.
The decision was announced in an Oct. 6 memo from Sriram Krishnasamy, chief transformation officer.
"Although robotics and automation are key pillars of our innovation strategy, Roxo did not meet necessary near-term value requirements for DRIVE," Krishnasamy wrote. "Although we are ending the research and development efforts, Roxo served a valuable purpose: to rapidly advance our understanding and use of robotic technology."
According to FedEx, Roxo was originally planned to operate on sidewalks, bike lanes, and roadsides, and was designed to be used in a three-to-five mile radius of a retailer’s location. Roxo also used Deka’s iBot electric wheelchair base.
The zero-emissions, battery-powered delivery robot weighs 450 lbs.
Roxo initially launched in 2019.
FedEx in Work Truck News
This isn't the first time Work Truck has covered recent FedEx announcements.
FedEx Express teamed up with California Bay Area-based Elroy Air earlier this year to test Elroy Air’s Chaparral autonomous air cargo system within the company’s middle-mile logistics operations.
FedEx also received its first 150 electric delivery vehicles from BrightDrop in June. According to FedEx, this marked a critical milestone as the company plans to transform its entire parcel pickup and delivery (PUD) fleet to all-electric, zero-tailpipe emissions by 2040.
Most recently, it was announced Bill Cawein, global technology & integration manager at FedEx Express, will outline the company’s global plans to decarbonize through fleeting zero tailpipe emissions vehicles (ZEV) and other strategies at the 2022 Fleet Forward Conference.
