Lithuanian grocery retailer IKI is expanding driverless delivery after a month of trialing the concept in the centre of Vilnius.
For the last month, three autonomous cars have been delivering goods purchased in the e-store of the startup, ‘LastMile’ in the centre of Vilnius. Now, the concept is being expanded to the Žvērynas district in addition to operations in the Vilnius Old Town and New Town areas.
Tadas Norušaitis, manager and co-founder at LastMile said the successful completion of deliveries over the last month showed that the technology works and can be used on on a bigger scale.
“The fact that even three autonomous cars have taken to the streets of the city centre and are participating in traffic in conditions of high mobility and complexity is progress on a global scale,” he said.
He added: Goods are delivered quickly, cars successfully participate in busy traffic, do not get stuck even in densely furnished yards. There were no incidents, and users positively evaluated the innovation, so we decided to expand the delivery area – from now on, autonomous cars also go to Žvėrynas.”
Source: Clevon
The delivery numbers
From the first month of orders, the average distance of an autonomous car delivery was 1.7 kilometers, and an average order weighed around 10 kg.
The most popular products delivered by autonomous cars are strawberries, bananas, cucumbers, milk, tomatoes, eggs, oil, blueberries and soft drinks. The value of the average basket is €36.
According to the general director of “IkI Lithuania”, Nijolė Kvietkauskaitė, the first weeks of autonomous cars in the city centre showed that Vilnius and its drivers and buyers are ready for innovation.
“Lithuanians are very receptive to innovations, so it is a joy to introduce them to new experiences. During the history of our activity, we have done this many times – from the first self-service checkouts to the first autonomous stores. The development of autonomous cars testifies to the city’s preparation for this type of technology. I’m happy that by applying them we can set new standards for convenient and sustainable shopping,” she said.
What are the safety features?
The autonomous cars that have been delivering goods in the center of Vilnius since last week were created by Clevon, a delivery specialist based in Estonia.
Last year, LastMile and Clevon carried out a pilot project in Balsiai, a suburb of Vilnius, the first time that a driverless delivery robot was used in Lithuania. In three months, the robot traveled about 2,000 km, meeting all requirements.
To ensure a high level of safety, autonomous cars travel at a maximum speed of 25 km/hour while 360-degree cameras and special sensors help them to safely maneuver through the streets. The robots are also constantly monitored by teleoperators in real time.
After ordering goods, buyers receive a text message with information on when the autonomous car will arrive and a code that will unlock its doors.
The “IKI” retail chain together with LastMile belongs to the international “Rewe” group, which currently operates in 21 European countries.
