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49 UGVs | Insight on-demand delivery, he says. After the delivery, the robots will autonomously find their way back to the van for reloading. That requires a coordination of navigation systems between the van and the robot fleet. Ultimately, the vans themselves will be self-driving. “We see a huge potential for robotic delivery systems in the future, by combining our vans and the robots,” says Volker Mornhinweg at Mercedes- Benz Vans. “With this we are able to increase the efficiency of delivery by an order of magnitude.” The 18 kg Starship robots are being used in commercial trials in the UK, Germany and Switzerland to deliver food, groceries and parcels. They drive autonomously but are monitored by humans who can take over control at any time. They use a mixture of GPS and computer vision to update a 3D map of their environment from nine cameras, although this currently limits the speed of the system to 4 mph and can only operate in areas that have already been mapped by the robot under the remote control of a human operator. Ultrasonic sensors are used to detect obstructions such as pedestrians and stop at a safe distance, although the robot also reverts to human remote control. Even with the slower speed and the existing mapping, fully autonomous operation has not been possible. A recent run in Silicon Valley in the US achieved 90% autonomous operation, and the company is aiming for 99% autonomous driving. The Horsefly from electric truck maker AMP is a similar proposal. This combines a delivery van as a launcher for an eight- rotor UAV to deliver packages within line of sight of the van. Developed with the University of Cincinnati’s Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, the UAV needed advanced motor control algorithms to manage the dynamic forces such as wind gusts associated with flight. It recharged from the batteries in the electric vehicle, and work continues to develop the system for commercial use. Unmanned Systems Technology | February/March 2017 The vans will drive to pre-agreed locations to load and unload goods, and then dispatch the robots in the final step for on-demand delivery A Mercedes-Benz van would deliver a fleet of Starship autonomous robots that would each deliver a parcel and return to the van for re-stocking (Courtesy of Starship)