Valeo unveils autonomous, electric delivery droid

Valeo has recently unveiled its autonomous, electric delivery droid prototype at CES 2020 in Las Vegas.

The Valeo eDeliver4U was developed in partnership with Meituan Dianping, China’s leading e-commerce platform for services, which operates popular food delivery service Meituan Waimai.

The two groups signed a strategic cooperation agreement at last year’s CES to develop a last-mile autonomous delivery solution.

At 2.80m long, 1.20m wide and 1.70m tall, the droid can deliver up to 17 meals per trip, autonomously negotiating dense and complex urban environments at about 12 km/h without generating any pollutant emissions.

With a range of around 100km, the prototype gives a glimpse of what home delivery could look like in the near future, especially in the ever-growing number of zero-emissions zones that are being created around the world.

Meituan Dianping’s connected delivery locker allows for safe delivery to the end customer, who can book through a smartphone application.

The droid’s autonomy and electric power are delivered by Valeo technologies that are already series produced and aligned with automotive industry standards, thereby guaranteeing a high-level of safety.

The droid operates autonomously using perception systems including algorithms and sensors.

It is equipped with four Valeo SCALA laser scanners, a front camera, four fisheye cameras, four radar devices and twelve ultrasonic sensors, coupled with software and artificial intelligence.

The electrified chassis features a Valeo 48V motor and a Valeo 48V inverter, which acts as the system’s ‘brain’ and controls the power, a speed reducer, a 48V battery, a DC/DC converter and a Valeo 48V battery charger, as well as electric power steering and braking systems.

Jacques Aschenbroich, chairman and chief executive officer at Valeo said: “The modularity of the platforms means our technologies can just as easily be fitted to cars, autonomous shuttles, robotaxis and even droids.

“These new markets will allow us to further consolidate our leadership around the world in vehicle electrification, driver assistance systems and autonomous driving.”