Robot wars could be starting in Milton Keynes as another company launches rival brand of delivery bots

Robot wars could erupt in MK as a rival company prepares to launch its own brand of delivery bots.

PeykBots will arrive on our city streets this summer after being tested successfully in Quatar.

The brainchild of instant delivery company Peyk, the robots operate in a slightly different way to the familiar Starship bots, which make thousands of deliveries a day in MK from the Co-op, Starbucks and a host of other takeaway stores.

PeykBots are designed to similarly deliver food and groceries if necessary, but the difference is that they can be hired – and controlled – directly by the user.

This ‘peer to peer’ function means an individual or business can hire one to quickly deliver a package to someone across the city, or pick up something for them from a business or private address in an eco-friendly fashion.

Instead of using a courier service, they can rely on the robot, controlling it themselves and tracking its progress. And companies can even ‘adopt’ them for deliveries and deck them out with their own logos and colours.

Peyk founder Salman Moghimi says these are the first and only robots designed for such deliveries and they represent a major milestone in his company’s mission to bring innovation to the delivery sector.

"Peer-to-peer couriers are widely used when sending things to friends and family. Peyk is now bringing a similar service to the market, revolutionising it with platform simplicity and smart, city-sustainable autonomous robots,” he said.

“With an in-house team of engineers and developers, Peyk have given themselves the competitive edge in the market. Using a combination of artificial intelligence and high-tech sensors, PeykBot is able to detect authorised driving routes, including side roads and pavements.

"The use of waypoint driving means PeykBot is ready for use in any location, not just pre-mapped areas, and is equipped with step climbing ability and obstacle detection.”

An all-terrain chassis and latest technology of honeycomb wheels provides smooth and quiet deliveries in any weather, and each PeykBot is equipped with industry graded night lighting, as well as indicators, ensuring safe and secure deliveries 24/7.

Other features include the automatic opening/closing door and insulated, interchangeable compartment sizes.

As well as the robots, Peyk have developed a web-enabled platform that allows any PeykBot operator to identify and track the status of their robot during a delivery. In case of an emergency, the operator also has the ability to remotely control each unit.

Salman decided to launch the delivery robots, following his own difficult experience trying to send a package across London. Today, Peyk has almost 7,000 deliverers ready to collect packages within 20 minutes of an order being placed – the quickest pick-up time across companies in London.

After fundraising £1.2m in 2021, the company were able to focus their efforts on bringing new technology to the logistics market.

Salman said: “It is truly remarkable to see that an idea that I had post-covid has quickly turned into a reality. With the help of my amazing team and the commitment of all of us, we have quickly made the robot project operational.”