UK: Robots deliver shopping to residents in Milton Keynes amid COVID-19 lockown

In Milton Keynes, an English town, a fleet of robots on wheels deliver shopping as the residents are confined to their homes during lockdown to stem the coronavirus pandemic. The popularity of the robots, which are about the height of the knee of an adult, and are white bodies on six wheels has surged in the town in recent weeks, the machines, however, have been delivering for over two years and are the usual sight on the road. 

As of March 23, the government in London reportedly imposed strict social distancing measures that prohibited all non-essential movement to curb community transmission. With over 18,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the protocols have been toughened. Hence, with people stuck at home in Milton Keynes, the demand for the robots was pushed past to include at least 70 additional to the fleet over the last three weeks.  

Starship’s Harris-Burland, Vice President to the San-Francisco based robot manufacturers, was quoted as saying that the robots have undertaken over 100,000 autonomous deliveries orders in town. Further, he said, the company was giving free deliveries to the National Health Service (NHS) staff and medics. The focus was to make life a little bit easier for the frontline workers in the very, very stressful times, he further added. Most healthcare workers were doing 80-hour weeks and were unable to visit local grocery stores, so the robots delivered the items to them. Burland said that he was honoured to be a part of the initiative. 

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Residents love the robots

With an antenna topped with a red flag, the robots can be spotted easily running across the town as residents are full well aware of their presence. Several residents that received their essential supply items took to Twitter to share their experience or an update about the “future of shopping”.  

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