Robots Making Deliveries on Napa Valley Golf Course

Image Credit: Howard Yune/ Napa Valley Register

While mostly still in the testing phase, delivery robots are popping up everywhere these days. They’ve been seen on city streets, college campuses, in offices and hotels. Now you might see them the next time you play golf.

At the Eagle Vines Golf Club in Napa Valley, California, four automated robots have been delivering things like food, beverages, golf balls, and merchandise. The battery-powered bots come from Estonia and San Francisco based company Starship Technologies.

Golf Delivery Robots Summoned Via Starship App

The customers order and pay via the Starship companion app. The order is then transmitted to a tablet in the clubhouse where employees load the requested items and the robot goes on its way. Customers can see the estimated wait time and track the robot via their smartphone.

When the robot reaches its destination, a hatch will open for customers to retrieve their items. It then automatically returns to a lot near the clubhouse where it can recharge its batteries if need be and wait for the next order.

“Customers seem to enjoy it. I don’t think there’s been one person who hasn’t asked about it and taken pictures with it,” said Eagle Vines’ general manager David Griffis.

Delivery Robots Can Carry Up to 20 Pounds

The white and black robots, which look more like a rolling picnic cooler, are guided by GPS and can carry up to 20 pounds. Onboard cameras and sensors help the bots avoid obstacles while navigating the 18-hole golf course.  

The six-wheel robot is about two feet tall and can travel up to 4 mph. It also has the ability to go up and down slopes, along with automatically stopping at crosswalks to wait for traffic to pass.

Starship’s delivery robots have been popping up in cities around the world delivering things like food, medications, and merchandise. So far, they have made over 50,000 deliveries and traveled around 200,000 miles.

Source: Napa Valley Register

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