Robots delivering food in Miami? Better get used to it
MIAMI - Robots one after the other, waking up, getting ready to make their rounds. In no time, they're out the door cruising around downtown Miami - ready for a day of deliveries.
"Hi, my name is Geoffrey," one of the robots announces.
Geoffrey has about 20 friends known as "Tiny Mile" robots. They may look driverless, but they're not.
"Right now I'm basically driving this robot throughout the city," explained Tiny Mile Robot Technician Reis Simpson while holding his controls, sitting behind a computer screen.
For every robot, there's a pilot using 2 cameras and a sensor to see where it's going. Omar Elawi from Tiny Mile explains.
"The best part about our robots is that they're remotely piloted, so they actually have real humans behind them driving them at all times," Elawi said.
There's the human element and an A-I feature as well.
"We have our Lidar sensors, these help the robot with collision avoidance. Essentially in the off case, the unlikely case the pilot isn't focusing it will trigger the brakes and stop the robot if anyone walks out in front of it," he said.
And they get lots of attention as they roll down the sidewalk.
"Does it speak too?" Myrtis Jones asked as she tried to get video. She laughed as she heard the robot say, "Hello? Hi, My name is Geoffrey."
This all works off an app. "You specify your pick up spot, you specify your drop off spot, robot shows up, you put your items in and it heads over to recipient," Elawi explained.
Right now, Tiny Mile is in "Launch mode" in Miami. The plan is to focus on food delivery.
The folks at Peruvian Fusion downtown are planning to try Geoffrey for some of their orders.
"It's a good new option in delivery," said Carlos Gonzalez from Peruvian Fusion. "I think it's better because here in downtown the traffic is too much. For the robot, I think it's more easier," explained owner Cynthia Guzman.
Food delivery is expected to begin in the next two weeks. The delivery area is from Brickell to Overton and Downtown Miami, west to Little Havana. The plan is to expand it sometime later.
