• Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

Evelyn Kanter ecoXplorer

green living, smart spending

  • Green Hotels
  • Green Cars
    • Best Cars under $20,000
    • Test Drives
    • Diesel Cars
    • Electric Cars
    • Hybrid Cars
    • Hydrogen Fuel Cell
    • Luxury Drives
  • Travel Deals
    • Free
    • Budget Travel
    • Discount Tickets
  • Xplore More
    • Safety and Health
    • How To
    • Five Best
    • Travel Pioneers
    • Motorcycles
    • Vintage Cars
  • Scam Alert
  • Where to Go Next
    • Historic Travel
    • Epic Adventures
    • National Parks
Home » Robots deliver mail in Switzerland

Robots deliver mail in Switzerland

1 Comment

robot delivers mail in switzerland

What do you get when you mix a driverless car with a drone that delivers packages? You get a self-driving robot that delivers mail and packages, on demand, like the ones being tested now in Switzerland, in 2016.

These are courteous robots, sharing the sidewalk with pedestrians, and stopping when they get close enough to bump into one.

The special delivery self-driving robots are at work in a couple of Swiss cities, including Bern, the Swiss capital, testing delivery of special mailings, including packages that require flexible and rapid local delivery.

If the robots behave, their role could be expanded in the future for same-day and same-hour delivery of food or medicine, according to Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office.

Similar tests are underway in Germany and UK, where the robots were developed by a company – appropriately named –  Starship Technologies.  Scotty, beam up to the robot factory.

Here’s how Starship robots work:

Starship robot facts

According to SwissInfo.ch, the little battery-powered robots can carry up to 22 pounds (10 kilos) at a time, and travel for up to two hours, or around four miles total, between battery charges.

Top speed is just under 5mph, around the same as brisk walking speed.

The Starship Technologies robots being tested have nine cameras, four frontal sensors and GPS technology to help them avoid obstacles and navigate safely to their destinations.

The cameras have another purpose as well: to help deter potential thieves.

The robots are also “smart”, in the sense that they “learn” during each excursion, adding to their level of autonomy.  When they reach their destination, the robots send an SMS to alert the intended recipient that their package has arrived.

During the test phase, a human companion will supervise the robots.

Not a replacement

Swiss officials stress that the robots are not intended to replace traditional package distribution practices.

With typical Swiss diplomacy, the robots “represent Swiss Post’s desire to adapt to the evolving online shopping market, and to compete with increasing numbers of foreign logistics services.”

Last year, Swiss Post also tested the use of drones to deliver small packages of goods such as medicine.

Swiss Post expects drone and delivery robots will be “commercialised within three to five years”.  That’s about when autonomous, driverless cars are due to be on the roads, too.

 photo courtesy SwissPost via SwissInfo.ch
Thanks for visiting ecoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars, smart spending and frugal living by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.
Welcome back to exoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars and smart spending by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Related

Filed Under: Green Travel, Test Drives Tagged With: robots, Technology

What do you think? We value your comments and love hearing from you.Cancel reply

Most Popular Recent Posts

  • NYC Guide: Best Free & Cheap Things to Do In May, June & Beyond
    NYC Guide: Best Free & Cheap Things to Do In May, June & Beyond
  • Panera Removing Artificial Ingredients From Bread
    Panera Removing Artificial Ingredients From Bread
  • 2025/26 Ikon Pass Buyer's Guide
    2025/26 Ikon Pass Buyer's Guide
  • Where to Eat in Times Square & Theater District at Local Restaurants Not National Chains
    Where to Eat in Times Square & Theater District at Local Restaurants Not National Chains
  • Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
    Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
  • Regal Summer Movie Express $1 Family Films
    Regal Summer Movie Express $1 Family Films
  • Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
    Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
  • NYC Guide: Best Current Museum Exhibits
    NYC Guide: Best Current Museum Exhibits
  • World's Largest Open-Air Gondola Opens in French Alps
    World's Largest Open-Air Gondola Opens in French Alps
  • Top Rental Car Cities for Summer Travel
    Top Rental Car Cities for Summer Travel

ecoXplorer is your guide to smart spending and eco-friendly living

ecoXplorer is published by Evelyn Kanter, an award-winning journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter and guidebook author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

Evelyn Kanter is the Past President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA), a past Board Member of a prestigious professional group for travel journalists, and a member of several other top international organizations of journalists.

Evelyn Kanter is Senior Editor of SeniorsSkiing, which focuses on the 50+ outdoor enthusiast.

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com or evelyn@evelynkanter.com.

Search ecoXplorer by category

© 2010-2025 ecoXplorer by Evelyn Kanter. All articles and photos are protected by US (C) Copyright laws. Any unauthorized copying is strictly prohibited. Plus, it’s just not nice.

  • Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

ecoXplorer.com is an independent information service which is compensated by advertisers and sponsors. This site includes some links to other websites which are compensated for by our sponsors when you click them.

 

Loading Comments...