Delivery firm Hermes trials self-driving robots in London

Amazon has been talking about using drones as a way to deliver parcels to customers for some time, but Hermes has a more down to earth solution it’s about to start trialing in London -- self driving robots.

In partnership with Starship Technologies, the courier firm will soon trial a number of parcel collections in the London borough of Southwark. This follows on from a successful pilot project which saw Hermes Germany test parcel delivery by robot in the Ottensen, Volksdorf and Grindel suburbs of Hamburg.

Hermes sees this approach as a more viable alternative to drones, especially in highly developed cities, towns and suburbs where strict aviation laws are in operation.

Each robot vehicle is 55cm high by 70cm long and incorporates a secured compartment where parcels with a maximum weight of 10KG can be transported, accessible to consumers via a link generated by an app.

The six wheel vehicles can travel at speeds up to 4mph per hour, and be used within a 2 mile radius from a control center, where the vehicles are loaded and charged.

Carole Woodhead, CEO of Hermes, says: "Starship Technologies is a highly innovative and pioneering firm. We are extremely pleased to utilize their expertise to explore exciting new ways that will further strengthen our portfolio of services and offer greater choice and convenience for customers. We can already see first-hand the success they’ve had with food deliveries in London, and we are excited to team up with them in a bid to revolutionize the home delivery marketplace."