Hyperdrive
Ford’s Way to Finish Driverless Deliveries: Package-Carrying Robots
Autonomous vehicles will need a human-free way to get things to your doorstep.
A promotional photo of the Digit delivery robot from Ford.
Photographer: Ford Motor Co.
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It’s a headless robot in a driverless car.
Ford is working on a way to resolve what self-driving researchers refer to as “the last 50-foot problem.” If an autonomous delivery vehicle arrives at your house, without any humans aboard, who’s going to carry the package, grocery bags or piping-hot pizza to your doorstep? A robot, of course, could be up to the task—with no tipping necessary.