Rival robots are moving into Milton Keynes - but 'Robot Wars' are unlikely

The new robots will be run by parcel delivery company DPD, which has a depot in Knowlhill.

They will be a similar shape and size to the city’s famous Starship robots, but will be green, white and orange in colour.

Starship robots launched in 2018 in MK and now make thousands of deliveries a day through a partnership with the Co-op and Starbucks, plus a host of other independent takeaway stores.

Able to ’speak’ a few words and even sing a song, they are now an established part of the community, with many people greeting them as they trundle past.

The new DPD robots will not affect the Starship fleet. They will each deliver up to 30 parcels a day in just two areas of MK – Shenley Church End and Shenley Lodge.

Operated as part of a trial with AI-powered robotics and last mile delivery company, Cartken,

The DPD branded robots will operate out of the Knowlhill depot and will navigate the city's traffic-free Redway network.

Powered by AI technology, the robots are currently ‘learning' the routes and will then be able to find their way to delivery addresses, fully autonomously.

DPD parcel recipients will be notified of a robot delivery in advance, and once they confirm that they are at home to accept the parcel, the robot will be dispatched.

Customers will be able to track the robot's progress on a map and will be notified when it reaches their property. They will then use a code to open the secure compartment and access their parcel. Once the compartment is closed, the robot will return to the depot for its next delivery.

If the trial is successful, DPD intends to extend the sustainable, autonomous final mile solution across the city, which could enable it to start removing traditional delivery vans from the road network.

Elaine Kerr, DPD UK CEO, said: "This is a really important trial for us. We want to understand the role that delivery robots could play in certain locations in the UK. They are a sustainable solution, and we genuinely want to find out if they could help us take vans off the road in future. The technology is proven and with the DPD branding, they look fantastic. The public's response to our EV fleet has been amazing, so I am confident these smart robots will be embraced by customers as part of the way forward.

"Realistically, we aren't going to be completely replacing our delivery drivers anytime soon. And we wouldn't want to. The service they provide is fantastic. But at DPD we've always led the way on innovation and investment in our network and this is the next logical step in terms of evolving delivery solutions and working towards our aim of being the UK's most sustainable delivery company."

Cartken Co-Founder and COO, Anjali Jindal Naik, said: "We are thrilled to be a part of DPD's sustainability plan as they adopt more environmentally conscious solutions through the use of our delivery robots."