Rappi Kiwibot.Photo from Fredy Builes/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
- Colombian delivery app Rappi is testing pilot robot deliveries in Colombia.
- Rappi operates in several Latin American countries, and last year SoftBank invested one billion dollars into the startup.
- Deliveries are made using Kiwibot, a delivery robot from a Colombian owned company in California.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Colombian delivery app Rappi is yet another company turning to robots to reduce reliance on human workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to Colombia, Rappi operates in Mexico, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil. Last spring, SoftBank invested $1 billion — one-fifth of its Innovation Fund for Latin America — in the startup. It was founded in 2015, and other investors include Sequoia Capital, Andreesen Horowitz, and Y Combinator.
Colombia is currently under a lockdown set to end in May, though it may be extended again. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported on the lack of coronavirus testing throughout Latin America, making it difficult to assess how widespread the virus is in the region.
Like in other countries, the Colombian delivery app is using robots to complete orders at a time when people are at risk of catching the virus from interacting with others. So far, the robots are part of a pilot in Medellin, with potential to expand.
Here's what it looks like.
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Kiwibots have previously been used for deliveries at colleges including UC Berkeley, and Kiwibot says it has made more than 30,000 deliveries since it started in 2017.
Berkeley Kiwibot.
Photo by Joaquin SARMIENTO / AFP
It plans to run the program until July, and then potentially expand to other cities.
Rappi Kiwibot.
Photo from Fredy Builes/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
Rappi says it completes about 120 deliveries each day with the 15 robots in the pilot area.
Rappi Kiwibot.
Photo by Joaquin SARMIENTO / AFP
Kiwibot emphasized its robots ability to "seamlessly mesh into the fabric of urban landscapes," with technology like street crossing mode.
Rappi Kiwibot.
Photo from Fredy Builes/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
Kiwibots are equipped with corner recognition, which allows them to create safe paths on sidewalks.
Rappi Kiwibot.
Photo from Fredy Builes/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
The sensor system allows it to react to lights and obstacles.
Rappi Kiwibot.
Photo from Fredy Builes/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
Kiwibots have a stereo camera system to sense its surroundings as it moves.
Rappi Kiwibot.
Photo from Fredy Builes/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
Robots can carry deliveries up to five square inches in size, and are disinfected between orders.
Rappi Kiwibot.
Photo from Fredy Builes/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
Customers stuck at home because of the coronavirus can order and pay for meals digitally, and then last mile delivery is completed by the robots.
Rappi Kiwibot.
Photo from Fredy Builes/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
The four-wheeled delivery robots have orange flags to call attention from walkers, drivers, and bikers.
Rappi Kiwibot.
Photo from Fredy Builes/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
Deliveries in the pilot program use Kiwibot robots, from a California company with a Medellin office.
Rappi Kiwibot.
Photo from Fredy Builes/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
As the coronavirus spread between people, options for contactless delivery became more popular.
Rappi Kiwibot.
Photo from Fredy Builes/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
Typically, Rappi works similarly to GrubHub or DoorDash, with delivery drivers picking up orders and bringing them to customers' doors.
Rappi delivery.
Reuters
Rappi is using robots for deliveries in Medellin, the capital of Colombia.
Rappi Kiwibot.
Photo from Fredy Builes/VIEWpress via Getty Images)