Amazon’s small delivery robots, which look like mini moon rovers, will no longer deliver orders and will disappear from the sidewalks of American cities. The company announced the reorientation of the Scout program and the cessation of the use of experimental technology.
Image Source: Amazon
According to media reports, the Scout team will be disbanded, and most of its 400 members will be offered new jobs in the company. However, an Amazon representative has already stressed that the company is not abandoning the project completely and will remain the “backbone” of the team, which will continue to explore the possibility of using Scout for deliveries.
Amazon says that through limited field testing, the feedback helped determine that some aspects of the program were “not meeting customer expectations,” resulting in those tests being terminated and the program refocused, and the project team was given positions that matched their experience and skills.
Amazon began testing the Scout back in 2019 and initially used six delivery vehicles near its Seattle office. The small delivery robot could follow a predetermined route on its own, although it was accompanied by people during tests. When he arrived at his destination, he could open the lid in the presence of the buyer, allowing him to pick up the goods. Gradually, Amazon expanded the scope of testing to Southern California, Atlanta, Georgia and the city of Franklin (Tennessee).
Although the company never said which aspects of the program “did not meet the needs of users,” it is possible that the matter is simply a lack of funds for pilot projects. For example, quite recently the company refused to issue Glow terminalsthat provided video communication with children., perhaps due to weak sales.
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