Tech giant Google have been working on autonomous vehicles for some time now. As their self-driving cars are tested in three US cities, Google have moved onto their next big venture.
The latest patent predicts a move into the courier industry with a system that handles the delivery of goods called ‘Autonomous Delivery Platform’.
Image Source: Roman Boed on Flickr
The ‘Autonomous Delivery Platform’ is set to make the journey from factory to consumer much more efficient.
The latest Google patent states that two of the largest US commercial courier firms have invested in 100,000 self-driving trucks. The only issue is they currently require a driver!
Combining Google’s self-driving vehicles and delivery system could prove a real threat to the courier industry.
As providers of courier insurance it’s important for us to understand what this means for couriers.
The Patent: Autonomous Delivery Platform
In February 2016, Google’s patent for the ‘Autonomous Delivery Platform’ was accepted in the US.
Here’s an overview of the patent.
The delivery system consists of multiple packing compartments each with their own pin number. Google plan to text the pin number to the consumer giving them access to their goods.
Source: Google’s Autonomous Delivery Platform PatentAutonomous Delivery Platform Patent
For extra security the pin will only be activated once the vehicle reaches a specific location. Alternatively an NFC chip will be installed on mobile devices sending an alert to the vehicle when the destination has been reached.
However, this is only Google’s latest concept. Let’s not forget Project Wing due to launch in 2017.
Will human drivers be required at all?
When the news was announced that self-driving commercial vehicles will come to UK roads there were mixed reactions. Many drivers felt the invention was a good one as long as they still had a purpose:
Others were not so optimistic:
Google’s new delivery system would be totally autonomous, requiring the customer to have no human interaction at all. This means that a human is no longer required!
However, the idea is still just a concept so is years away from reality.
For now couriers and HGV drivers jobs are safe – but who knows what the future will bring?
