Nuro autonomous delivery
Nuro is a startup founded by ex-Google engineers from Waymo a self-driving car project by Google. The team at Nuro is very keen to leverage the benefits of robotics to improve the human life. The company is working on Nuro self-driving delivery vans since 2016.
The startup has employees from numerous fields including robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. The team also consists of engineers from Tesla and General Motors. The startup created the self-driving vehicle to transport goods. It’s like a delivery van without a human.
The vehicle is fully autonomous and electric. The vehicle is nimble, slower than a normal car, lighter in weight and having the state-of-the-art software. The smaller size of the vehicle helps to scale up more rapidly. This vehicle can handle multiple types of goods such as pet foods, groceries and even laundry at a very affordable price.
How self-driving delivery works?
Self-driving delivery is much like the normal online delivery. The only difference is that there is no delivery person or human. Instead, you get your goods from autonomous delivery vans. It’s simple. You place the order online via a smartphone or computer. Then, you get a text message notifying your orders are dispatched from the store and vehicle is on the way. Besides, you can track your vehicle live on the map.
Once the delivery vehicle is nearby, you will get a text message containing access code. You can only open the specific compartment of the self-driving delivery vehicle using this code. Simply enter the code and door opens. Then, you can unload the delivery and press done or simply walk away. The door will close automatically and the vehicle will depart for further deliveries.
The working of Nuro self-driving technology
The working of Nuro self-driving technology depends on three basics i.e. See, Think and Do. In the ‘See’ approach, the vehicle decides its relative position thru’ the GPS and host of sensors. The changing surroundings are captured by cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors, LIDAR and sound sensors; creating 3600 images of the surrounding.
Furthermore, in the ‘Think’ approach, the system then plots its course. It takes care of how road users behave. It also thinks about the driving behavior of other road users such as a car turning without signaling. The system keeps on updating itself along the route and takes the safest route to the destination.
In the final approach do, the system sends signals to appropriate hardware. The vehicle takes a course of action accordingly like maneuvering, acceleration or braking etc.
Design of Nuro self-driving delivery vans
The startup has a new approach in vehicle design to enhance overall safety in and around the vehicle. The speed of operation of the Nuro self-driving delivery vans is 25 miles per hour. Such low speed helps gives the vehicle time to react and hence, improves the safety. As there are no passengers in the van, there are no extra accessories like seats and windows. Ultimately, the van is more lightweight and nimble. In addition, stopping distance also reduces drastically.
In the event of a collision, the vehicle has the ability to prioritize the safety of humans. It can give location details to the emergency respondents. The respondents can also use the vehicle’s two-way communication system in an emergency.
The soft panels at the front ensure the safety of the pedestrians from the accidental pedestrian strike. The front acts as a crumple zone to minimize the injury. The round corners on the van ensure an additional protection since a person coming in contact with the front will glance off rather than having a perpendicular strike.
In conclusion, the Nuro self-driving delivery vans will change the delivery business and experience altogether. The product will change the way we experience delivery of goods in the future.
Watch Nuro self-driving delivery van in action:
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