Parcel delivery company DPD has confirmed plans to launch autonomous robot deliveries in Lincoln, marking the fourth location in the UK in which this service has been launched.
DPD says that this is part of ‘a nationwide rollout that could see up to 30 UK depots operating robots in their locality’.
Having first introduced robots in Milton Keynes in July 2022, the company is now also delivering parcels via these robots to DPD customers in Raunds and Bristol, with ‘more locations to follow this year’.
The robots will be based at DPD’s depot at St Modwen Park Lincoln, and will deliver to the nearby village of Witham St Hughs via an existing network of footpaths.
They have a battery life of up to 12 hours and can ‘deliver within a mile radius of the depot’, completing ‘up to 30 deliveries a day’.
Once the robots have completed the mapping process – during which the robot is ‘fully supervised and controlled by remote control’ – they are able to operate autonomously.
After the robots have been deployed, DPD parcel recipients in Witham St Hughs will receive an SMS when a robot is outside their property and can then use a secure one-time pin code to open the robot and access their parcel.
Then once the compartment is closed, the robot will either continue to its next delivery or return to the depot.
Tim Jones, director of marketing, communications and sustainability at DPD UK, said: “The robots have exceeded our expectations in terms of their effectiveness and the feedback from parcel recipients has been fantastic.
“The robots have proven themselves in a range of different locations, and having started out as a trial, we have now identified up to 30 depots where they could operate very successfully.”
A recent sustainability update from DPD UK confirmed that it is ‘on target to deliver a 46% reduction in emissions by the end of 2024, from the 2020 baseline, with a third of its final-mile van fleet now electric and 95% of its HGV fleet running on HVO’.
Jones added: “As a company we are committed to investing in innovation, learning and challenging ourselves to find new ways to improve our operation and become more sustainable.
“Our journey to net zero is largely dependent on employing ever-smarter technologies and, while the robots are one small part of that, they are a great example of integrating autonomous technology into our operation.”
Tim Jones gave a presentation on sustainable delivery and joined a panel discussion on the changing approach to urban logistics at this Logistics Manager’s Industrial & Logistics Property Conference in May 2024. Check out the morning and afternoon highlights from the conference!
DPD worked with Lincolnshire County Council on the introduction of the robots in Witham St Hughs.
Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for Highways at Lincolnshire County Council, commented: “This is a very interesting trial of the system and we will be watching it closely to see how it goes.
“Technology such as this is clearly part of the future of traffic and highways use so it’s good to be involved at such an early stage.
“We are interested in the outcomes of this trial and where it could lead for the future.”
