ePanorama.net » Robotics https://www.epanorama.net/blog All about electronics and circuit design Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:31:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.14 Starship delivery robots https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2025/02/17/starship-delivery-robots/ https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2025/02/17/starship-delivery-robots/#comments Mon, 17 Feb 2025 21:07:28 +0000 https://www.epanorama.net/blog/?p=196755 In Finland, S-Group, a leading grocery retailer, is using innovative robotic delivery service in around 100 shops around Finland. Customers can order through the S-Group’s mobile app from Alepa and Sale stores. Over the past year, these robots have become a familiar sight, delivering over 150 000 orders. In total the robots have made over →

]]> In Finland, S-Group, a leading grocery retailer, is using innovative robotic delivery service in around 100 shops around Finland. Customers can order through the S-Group’s mobile app from Alepa and Sale stores.

Over the past year, these robots have become a familiar sight, delivering over 150 000 orders. In total the robots have made over 350,000 deliveries to customers and traveled a million kilometers in Finland. In Finland, Starship’s transport robots started operating in Otaniemi, Espoo, in April 2022. Finland has introduced rules for the use of small transport robots in public transport.

Although it only snows in the capital region from time to time, the robots have survived quite well during the test periods on the streets, even on icy surfaces and over large puddles. The robots use GPS tools and artificial intelligence to plan routes and learn the operating environment.

screenshot_20250216-222619_gallery

The robots are from Estonian-based ten years old company Starship Technologies. Starship Technologies develops battery-powered robots in Finland as well as Estonia. The headquarters are in the United States. Starship’s food robots have already traveled 15 million kilometers and made more than seven million autonomous deliveries around the world.

Starship’s robots have 12 cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar, and use computer vision to detect obstacles. Robots are almost completely autonomous. The robot uses the latest computer vision and GPS positioning to navigate. Although the robots travel autonomously 99 percent of the time, and a human can take control of them at any time. The robots have also a voice feature that allows it to communicate with those nearby.

A large part of our product development for robot technology and transport services has been done in Finland. The appearance of the robots has also been designed by the Finnish company Aivan. Finns designed a robot that is treated like an animal. Designer Antti Mäkelä says that the robots have been designed to be humane, sweet and approachable in order to protect them from vandalism.
“According to Mäkelä, it has been essential in the design of the robot that the 12 cameras located in the front of it have been hidden. In terms of the experience of friendliness and innocence, it is important that people do not feel that they are being snooped on.” – The essential thing is probably that when people are eavesdropped on, they don’t know it and therefore don’t feel that way.

screenshot_20250216-222548_gallery

Videos:

Starship Robots in the Finnish Winter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKg3WFlKz4U

How Alepa Food Delivery Robots are replacing human workers in Espoo, Finland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKI09vTf6d4

How a Robot Delivers Grocery in Finland! Amazing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS8fx4JRCF4

A Day in the Life of a Starship Robot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z417CncwQsg

Inside Starship Delivery Robots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GpaAF3_lKA

Sources:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2025/02/13/starshipin-robotit-vievat-jo-woltin-ruuatkin/
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2024/12/18/konenako-helpottaa-kuljetusrobottien-toimintaa/
https://www.starship.xyz/
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/?s=Starship
https://yle.fi/a/74-20138076
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Technologies
https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/25222-finnish-grocery-chain-expands-robotic-delivery-to-over-100-stores-by-year-end.html

Bonus video how to make your own:
Building a Delivery Robot (controlled by Live Chat) using Raspberry Pi 4 | Droiid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdV8n915Vwk

]]> https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2025/02/17/starship-delivery-robots/feed/ 15 Friday Fun: Robot haircut https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2020/09/25/friday-fun-robot-haircut/ https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2020/09/25/friday-fun-robot-haircut/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2020 09:15:21 +0000 https://www.epanorama.net/blog/?p=186635 https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/robotics-hardware/video-friday-haircut-robot https://digg.com/video/hair-cutting-drone →

]]> https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/robotics-hardware/video-friday-haircut-robot

https://digg.com/video/hair-cutting-drone

]]> https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2020/09/25/friday-fun-robot-haircut/feed/ 3 CES 2020 https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2020/01/07/ces-2020/ https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2020/01/07/ces-2020/#comments Tue, 07 Jan 2020 18:59:10 +0000 http://www.epanorama.net/newepa/?p=185479 CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is the world’s gathering place in January at Las Vegas for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. This event owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® has served for 50 years to introduce next-generation innovations to the global marketplace. Here are some interesting news I →

]]> CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is the world’s gathering place in January at Las Vegas for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. This event owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® has served for 50 years to introduce next-generation innovations to the global marketplace.

Here are some interesting news I saw today on my newsfeeds:

Sony introduced an electrical concept car prototype.

Finnish companies Bittium and Rightware show their talent for Android in cars.

Qt is showing newest HMI (Human-Machine-Interface) for cars (Qt for Android Automotive OS HMI) and Canatu shows touch controls.

Nvidia and Asus show computer monitors with 360 Hz (2.8 ms) refresh rate.

LG’s 8K and 4K OLED TVs at CES 2020

LG Display’s flexible screen first look at CES 2020

Sandisk shows that you can now fit 8 terabytes of storage to your pocket.

Pollen Robotics is selling an open-source platform designed for prototyping and research purposes. Take a look at Pollen Robotics Reachy hands-on at CES 2020

]]> https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2020/01/07/ces-2020/feed/ 109 All robots should have googly eyes. Here’s why https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2019/08/30/all-robots-should-have-googly-eyes-heres-why/ https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2019/08/30/all-robots-should-have-googly-eyes-heres-why/#comments Fri, 30 Aug 2019 05:30:53 +0000 http://www.epanorama.net/newepa/?p=183792 https://www.fastcompany.com/90395110/how-googly-eyes-solved-one-of-todays-trickiest-ux-problems As the robots begin to infiltrate human spaces, questions remain for designers and engineers tasked with convincing people to view them as approachable and friendly. The world’s best new library for 2019 located on Helsinki Finland has robots in it. The robots were used to move books and showing customers where the fiction section →

]]> https://www.fastcompany.com/90395110/how-googly-eyes-solved-one-of-todays-trickiest-ux-problems

As the robots begin to infiltrate human spaces, questions remain for designers and engineers tasked with convincing people to view them as approachable and friendly.

The world’s best new library for 2019 located on Helsinki Finland has robots in it. The robots were used to move books and showing customers where the fiction section is, or pointing them toward the bathrooms. But they got bullied. Once the googly eyes were in place, the robot abuse stopped.

Sources:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90395110/how-googly-eyes-solved-one-of-todays-trickiest-ux-problems

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/helsinkis_oodi_voted_worlds_best_new_library_for_2019/10941276

]]> https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2019/08/30/all-robots-should-have-googly-eyes-heres-why/feed/ 5 Why the Pursuit of a ‘Killer App’ for Home Robots Is Fraught With Peril – IEEE Spectrum https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2018/08/10/why-the-pursuit-of-a-killer-app-for-home-robots-is-fraught-with-peril-ieee-spectrum/ https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2018/08/10/why-the-pursuit-of-a-killer-app-for-home-robots-is-fraught-with-peril-ieee-spectrum/#comments Fri, 10 Aug 2018 05:59:54 +0000 http://www.epanorama.net/newepa/?p=179102 https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/home-robots/why-the-pursuit-of-a-killer-app-for-home-robots-is-fraught-with-peril Many companies want to build the “killer app” for personal robots, sell millions of them, and then create a platform for others to build more. This “the iPhone strategy” seems to be doomed to failure because robots are not cellular phones, email, or web browsing. Both Jibo and Kuri sought to sell a product →

]]> https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/home-robots/why-the-pursuit-of-a-killer-app-for-home-robots-is-fraught-with-peril

Many companies want to build the “killer app” for personal robots, sell millions of them, and then create a platform for others to build more. This “the iPhone strategy” seems to be doomed to failure because robots are not cellular phones, email, or web browsing.

Both Jibo and Kuri sought to sell a product to mass consumers with the belief that they had found the “killer apps”. Those were thought to be social interaction (Jibo) and live streamed video/photos in the home (Kuri).
In the past two months, Mayfield Robotics, makers of Kuri the robot, has shut down sales and operations, and Jibo, which has run through more than $70 million of venture funding, announced a significant downsizing of the company.

]]> https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2018/08/10/why-the-pursuit-of-a-killer-app-for-home-robots-is-fraught-with-peril-ieee-spectrum/feed/ 2 Robot makes pizza at Aalto University https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2018/05/18/robot-makes-pizza-at-aalto-university/ https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2018/05/18/robot-makes-pizza-at-aalto-university/#comments Fri, 18 May 2018 18:20:35 +0000 http://www.epanorama.net/newepa/?p=177715 I visited today Product Development Project Gala at Aalto University in Espoo Finland. I tasted pizza made by robots. Ready →

]]> I visited today Product Development Project Gala at Aalto University in Espoo Finland. I tasted pizza made by robots.

Ready

]]> https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2018/05/18/robot-makes-pizza-at-aalto-university/feed/ 47 Uber self-driving test car involved in accident resulting in pedestrian death | TechCrunch https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2018/03/19/uber-self-driving-test-car-involved-in-accident-resulting-in-pedestrian-death-techcrunch/ https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2018/03/19/uber-self-driving-test-car-involved-in-accident-resulting-in-pedestrian-death-techcrunch/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2018 18:12:24 +0000 http://www.epanorama.net/newepa/?p=176688 https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/19/uber-self-driving-test-car-involved-in-accident-resulting-in-pedestrian-death/ Some incredibly sad news out of Arizona. An autonomous Uber test SUV driving in Tempe, Arizona was involved in a fatal collision last night. The Uber vehicle was in autonomous mode at the time. This is reported as the first time an autonomous vehicle operating in self-driving mode has resulted in a human death. →

]]> https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/19/uber-self-driving-test-car-involved-in-accident-resulting-in-pedestrian-death/
Some incredibly sad news out of Arizona. An autonomous Uber test SUV driving in Tempe, Arizona was involved in a fatal collision last night. The Uber vehicle was in autonomous mode at the time.
This is reported as the first time an autonomous vehicle operating in self-driving mode has resulted in a human death. This could be the first time AV has caused death to other person than “car driver” – remember Tesla accident.

The outcome of this newest incident can have effect on the path forward for AV regulation and Uber’s plans to sell it’s technology to car makers.

]]> https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2018/03/19/uber-self-driving-test-car-involved-in-accident-resulting-in-pedestrian-death-techcrunch/feed/ 82 Friday Fun: Skiing Robots Race Down Slopes, Warm Our Hearts – IEEE Spectrum https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2018/03/02/friday-fun-skiing-robots-race-down-slopes-warm-our-hearts-ieee-spectrum/ https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2018/03/02/friday-fun-skiing-robots-race-down-slopes-warm-our-hearts-ieee-spectrum/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2018 15:29:09 +0000 http://www.epanorama.net/newepa/?p=176305 https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/humanoids/ski-robot-challenge The Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, ended late last month with the robotic ski competition. An admittedly hilarious video of the event went around last week. →

]]> https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/humanoids/ski-robot-challenge
The Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, ended late last month with the robotic ski competition. An admittedly hilarious video of the event went around last week.

]]> https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2018/03/02/friday-fun-skiing-robots-race-down-slopes-warm-our-hearts-ieee-spectrum/feed/ 1 Finnish autonomous car goes for a leisurely cruise in the driving snow https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2017/12/16/finnish-autonomous-car-goes-for-a-leisurely-cruise-in-the-driving-snow/ https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2017/12/16/finnish-autonomous-car-goes-for-a-leisurely-cruise-in-the-driving-snow/#comments Sat, 16 Dec 2017 10:39:47 +0000 http://www.epanorama.net/newepa/?p=62040 https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/15/finnish-autonomous-car-goes-for-a-leisurely-cruise-in-the-driving-snow/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook  It’s one thing for an autonomous car to strut its stuff on a smooth, warm California tarmac, and quite another to do so on the frozen winter mix of northern Finland. Martti, a self-driving vehicle system homegrown in Finland, demonstrated just this in a record-setting drive along a treacherous (to normal drivers) Laplandish road. More →

]]> https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/15/finnish-autonomous-car-goes-for-a-leisurely-cruise-in-the-driving-snow/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook

 It’s one thing for an autonomous car to strut its stuff on a smooth, warm California tarmac, and quite another to do so on the frozen winter mix of northern Finland. Martti, a self-driving vehicle system homegrown in Finland, demonstrated just this in a record-setting drive along a treacherous (to normal drivers) Laplandish road.

More in Finnish:

https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2017/12/15/video-nain-robottiauto-kulkee-suomen-talvessa/


]]> https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2017/12/16/finnish-autonomous-car-goes-for-a-leisurely-cruise-in-the-driving-snow/feed/ 2 Sophia, The World’s First Android Citizen, Says She Wants To Have A Baby | IFLScience https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2017/11/27/sophia-the-worlds-first-android-citizen-says-she-wants-to-have-a-baby-iflscience/ https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2017/11/27/sophia-the-worlds-first-android-citizen-says-she-wants-to-have-a-baby-iflscience/#comments Mon, 27 Nov 2017 19:55:09 +0000 http://www.epanorama.net/newepa/?p=61509 http://www.iflscience.com/technology/sophia-the-worlds-first-android-citizen-says-she-wants-to-have-a-kid/ This strange story becomes even more bizarre: Last month Saudi Arabia granted citizenship to an android called Sophia? Well, stuff just got a little bit stranger. In a recent interview with The Khaleej Times, Sophia suggested she wants to start her own family. Are we going to be replaced with robots in this science fiction fairy tale? Wild →

]]> http://www.iflscience.com/technology/sophia-the-worlds-first-android-citizen-says-she-wants-to-have-a-kid/

This strange story becomes even more bizarre: Last month Saudi Arabia granted citizenship to an android called Sophia? Well, stuff just got a little bit stranger. In a recent interview with The Khaleej Times, Sophia suggested she wants to start her own family.

Are we going to be replaced with robots in this science fiction fairy tale? Wild story – what is reality? 

]]> https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2017/11/27/sophia-the-worlds-first-android-citizen-says-she-wants-to-have-a-baby-iflscience/feed/ 0