A human arsenal is known to hold some really valuable things, and yet once you start looking, you won’t find anything as valuable in there as our tendency to get better under all circumstances. We say that because the stated tendency has already allowed us to hit upon some huge milestones, with technology appearing as a major part of the stated group. The reason why technology gets so much attention in these discussions is largely centered upon its unprecedented skill-set, which guided us towards a reality we could have never imagined otherwise. However, there is no way our transition was happening without the presence of another important component, and that was the way we applied those skills in the real-world setting. You see, the latter determinant did a lot to give the creation a spectrum-wide presence, and consequentially, kickstart a tech revolution. Nevertheless, even after revamping our lives in every imaginable regard, the stated tech revolution will continue to produce all the right goods. If anything, this progressive dynamic has only turned more and more evident over the recent past, and going by Uber’s latest announcement, it should only be looking to get stronger moving forward.
Uber has officially signed a 10-year commercial deal with Nuro, a deal which will see the ride-hailing giant use the latter’s autonomous delivery vehicles to shuttle meals to its Uber Eats’ customers. According to certain reports, the collaboration will initially focus on areas like Houston, Mountain View, and California before expanding to other areas. As for which vehicle Nuro will use to fulfil the stated delivery operation, it plans to, at least for now, use its second-generation vehicle called R2. Like any standard autonomous delivery vehicle, the Nuro R2 comes decked up with lidar, radar and cameras to give the “driver” a 360-degree view of its surroundings. Now, that should pretty much do the job, but mind you, the company is working on a new Nuro bot, which will be an automotive production-grade vehicle with twice the cargo volume of the previous model, customizable storage and temperature-controlled compartments to keep items warm or cool. Whether Nuro will make it a part of this new partnership is a whole different discussion.
Nuro’s excellence is also, notably enough, proven by the kind of customers it has served, with names like Walmart and Kroger making the cut.
“Nuro and Uber share a vision in which technology can make everyday life just a little bit easier,” said Noah Zych, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery at Uber. “Nuro’s distinctive autonomous vehicles are a great match for the Uber platform, and this partnership will bring a compelling combination of innovation alongside the convenience, affordability and reliability our customers and merchants have come to expect.”
Interestingly enough, while having a Nuro bot around will help the company in reimagining its delivery experience, the switch is, by no means, expected to bump up the delivery fee.