A company which specializes in delivery robots envisions a fleet of a thousand units running in and around the British capital delivering groceries and hot meals.

Starship Technologies has struck deals with a grocery store in Milton Keynes northwest of London, and has already conducted trials with the online ordering service Just Eat in South London.  Looking somewhat like the six-wheeled offspring of an unholy intermingling of an iPhone and a picnic cooler, the company says units have traveled 100,000 miles without being lost, vandalized, or stolen.

Starship Technologies

The robots can travel up to three miles and are fitted with ultrasonic sensors for detecting obstacles, nine cameras, radar, and GPS.  They're autonomous, but can be remotely controlled by humans if the need arises.

The London launch is part of Starship's worldwide ambitions.  The company is also running tests at Intuit's campus in California's Silicon Valley.

"The rollout of Starship's campus offering represents a major milestone in the development of delivery robots," said Starship CEO Ahti Heinla.  "Today's announcement signals the next step in Starship's journey.  By providing campuses with our platform, we are leading the deployment of autonomous delivery at scale worldwide."