Ikea has teamed up with Kodiak Robotics, an organization that is engaged on self-driving know-how for long-haul trucking, to check driverless deliveries from its warehouses. Since August this 12 months, an autonomous heavy-duty Kodiak truck has been delivering furnishings from an Ikea distribution middle close to Houston to a retail retailer close to Dallas each single day. Whereas the truck has a backup driver behind the wheel who’s accountable for choosing up the loaded trailer and of overseeing the supply, the truck runs autonomously over lengthy stretches of freeway throughout its 300-mile, one-way journey.
With this partnership, Ikea is hoping to have a greater grasp of how autonomous deliveries could make long-haul journeys safer and will result in higher working situations for truck drivers. Whereas Kodiak’s vans aren’t electrical, it is price noting {that a} earlier research by the UC San Diego (PDF) utilizing one other firm’s automobiles present that autonomous vans are round 10 % extra environment friendly than their conventional counterparts. In response to Forbes, the 2 firms agreed to a three-month pilot program, but when all of it goes effectively, they may signal a multi-year deal that might cater to a lot of Ikea shops and warehouses.
The Swedish dwelling furnishings model additionally embraced different sorts of technological advances over the previous few months. In June, it launched a brand new AI-powered app that may scan rooms utilizing LIDAR in order that it will possibly create 3D replicas you’ll be able to design with Ikea furnishings. It additionally made EV homeowners really feel extra welcome by signing a deal to put in Electrify America’s quick chargers in additional than 25 of its shops within the US.
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