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By Mike Oitzman | September 11, 2024
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Mobile robots are autonomously delivering meals from Toronto Zoo’s central kitchen to the animal habitats. | Credit: Real Life Robotics
Real Life Robotics Inc. officially launched its flagship delivery robot platform, BUBS, as part of a pilot project at the Toronto Zoo. The launch coincided with the zoo’s 50th-anniversary celebration on Aug. 15. This initiative aligns with the zoo’s broader goal of becoming a technologically advanced conservation campus.
Dubbed “Zoober,” the last-mile delivery program aims to reduce the environmental impact of transporting food to animal habitats. The zoo currently relies on traditional fossil fuel-based vehicles to deliver between 1 and 1.5 tons of food daily across its 500-acre property. By using BUBS, the zoo said it hopes to contribute to its target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2030.
The robots operate entirely within the boundaries of the zoo, delivering meals from the zoo’s central kitchen to specific animal habitats. Zoo visitors might see the robots operating on the back roads of the zoo, as well as on public trails.
“We are pleased to partner with Real Life Robotics on this pilot project that draws on their human-centric approach to robot design and deep understanding of autonomous technology,” said Dolf DeJong, CEO of Toronto Zoo.
“This pilot partnership with Real Life Robotics will help us enhance efficiency and productivity and demonstrate how the Toronto Zoo is embracing sustainable technologies to become a globally leading conservation campus,” he said. “This is a special place where leading research, innovation, and technology can come together to help inspire and train the next generation of Canadian conservationists and scientists.”
The BUBS mobile robot is wrapped in a zebra theme. | Credit: Real Time Robotics
Robots offer means to sustainability
Projects such as the Toronto Zoo’s deployment are a sign of interest from municipalities and organizations with large campuses in more environmentally and economically sustainable deliveries. Real Life Robotics asserted that autonomous and remotely operated last-mile delivery robots can meet this interest.
“Through this partnership with the Toronto Zoo, we are thrilled to prove a real robotic solution to real-world problems being encountered daily by real people across their campus,” stated Cameron Waite, CEO of Real Life Robotics. “This ‘Made In Ontario’ technology is just another example of how our province is becoming known globally as a home for first-in-class robotics.”
He added that the company‘s “automation technology [has] the potential to empower businesses with transformative robotics solutions that can unlock new levels of efficiency, reliability, and scalability.”
Real Life Robotics works with data, partners
Partners on this project include Bell, which is providing the robots with connectivity and management tools through its 5G Developer Program. Real Life Robotics said it will use these tools to design, test, and deploy systems that provide real-time data for actionable insights.
The company claimed that its systems can improve the management of fleets, assets, supply chains, buildings, sites, and municipal operations across Canada.
“Bell is proud to empower Canadian businesses of all sizes to leverage modern IoT solutions, like Real Life Robotics, to transform how they and their customers operate,” said Steve Grywul, vice president of advanced solutions at Bell. “Through our 5G Developer Program, we continue to enable developers and businesses across various fast-growing industries as they utilize Bell’s 5G network, edge computing, and application programming interfaces to build innovative loT [Internet of Things] solutions.”
The next step for Real Life Robotics will be to begin deployments on public streets in Toronto. When this happens, it will be the first such deployment since the Toronto City Council voted to ban sidewalk robots in 2021. The council expressed concerns about sidewalk robots being hazards for people with low mobility or vision, as well as elderly people and children.
“Sidewalks are an important publicly-funded public resource, created for pedestrians to safely use,” wrote David Lepofsky, the chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, in a 2021 letter to the council. “Their safe use should not be undermined for such things as private companies’ delivery robots.”
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