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It's Not a Good Year for Delivery Robots: FedEx Is Also Shutting Down Its Roxo Program

This has not been a good year for delivery robots, as FedEx announced it is stopping the development of its last-mile delivery robot Roxo. The news came after Amazon confirmed it is “pivoting and reimagining” its equivalent Scout program.
FedEx is shutting down its Roxo program 6 photos
Photo: FedEx, edited image
FedEx is shutting down its Roxo programFedEx is shutting down its Roxo programFedEx is shutting down its Roxo programFedEx is shutting down its Roxo programFedEx is shutting down its Roxo program
Delivery robots were considered the greatest idea a few years ago, and the lockdowns during the pandemic gave it an unexpected boost. Nevertheless, as restrictions eased all over the world and the economy dwindled, delivery robots started to look more like money pits than forward-thinking solutions. It was time FedEx recognized that and shut down Roxo.

It sounds bizarre, but Roxo started life in 2019 as an adapted version of the iBot wheelchair developed by DEKA. Like the iBot, Roxo used three sets of wheels to climb steps and curbs. The robot moved at a top speed of 10 mph (16 kph), carried up to 100 lb (45 kg) of cargo, and navigated autonomously around cars and pedestrians thanks to a set of video cameras and LiDAR sensors. Human operators would oversee its movement and could take back control if necessary.

FedEx’s chief transformational officer Sriram Krishnasam announced that Roxo, developed as part of an internal DRIVE program, would be put to sleep. The message looks much like the standard announcements when the company fires a high-ranking official, so Roxo got at least some recognition for its role.

“Although robotics and automation are key pillars of our innovation strategy, Roxo did not meet necessary near-term value requirements for DRIVE,” wrote Krishnasam, according to internal emails obtained by Robotics 24/7. “Although we are ending the research and development efforts, Roxo served a valuable purpose: to rapidly advance our understanding and use of robotic technology.”

Earlier this month, Amazon also let go of its delivery robot Scout. Although the Scout team was disbanded and the team members were assigned new roles within the company, Amazon insisted that it was not stopping development. Instead, it was “pivoting and reimagining” the Scout program, which is a wordy formulation for the same outcome.

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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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