Vayu Robotics Unveils World’s First AI-Powered Delivery Robot

Vayu Robotics has announced the launch of what it claims is the world’s first delivery robot that uses advanced artificial intelligence (AI) underlying models. The robot, whose primary goal is to reduce the cost of e-commerce deliveries, is set to be deployed by an unspecified major e-commerce company in the United States.

Vayu Robotics’ robot stands out from traditional mobile robotic systems that often rely on expensive lidar sensors and software modules designed to perform single tasks. Instead, the delivery robot integrates a transformer-based mobility foundation model with cost-effective passive sensors, eliminating the need for pre-mapped roads and enabling autonomous navigation in a variety of environments, such as stores, city streets, and residential areas.

The robot is capable of carrying loads up to 100 pounds at speeds of under 20 miles per hour.

The primary innovation of this model, the company says, is its ability to operate without the high costs associated with lidar technology, which has historically resulted in expensive hardware and less robust software. The combination of AI models and low-cost sensing technology aims to provide a more scalable and economically feasible solution for e-commerce deliveries.

Vayu Robotics was founded by Anand Gopalan, Mahesh Krishnamurthi and Nitish Srivastava, veterans with extensive experience in the robotics and mobility sectors. Anand Gopalan, former CEO of Velodyne, noted, “The unique set of technologies we developed at Vayu allowed us to solve problems that have plagued delivery robots for the past decade and finally create a solution that can be implemented at scale and enable low-cost transportation of goods everywhere.” Gopalan’s co-founders, Krishnamurthi and Srivastava, both have experience at Apple SPG and Lyft, bringing even greater depth and expertise to the company.

The product launch is being backed by significant venture capital – Vayu Robotics raised $12.7 million in seed funding from Khosla Ventures last year.

The company has already secured a significant commercial agreement with a major e-commerce player to deploy 2,500 units of its delivery robots. The team is also working with a prominent global robotics manufacturer to replace lidar sensors with Vayu’s sensor technology in other robotic applications.

Kanu Gulati, Partner at Khosla Ventures, noted, “At Khosla Ventures, we believe in supporting companies where key and differentiated technologies can unlock a large market. Vayu is a great example of this, where they have implemented new sensors and their AI-based models for a robotic challenge that can have a huge economic and social impact.”

Gopalan also emphasized the wide potential applications of Vayu’s software technology: “Our software is form-factor independent and we have already implemented it in several wheeled forms. In the near future, Vayu’s software technology will enable quadruped and bipedal robotic movement, which will allow us to expand into these markets as well.”

As e-commerce continues to grow, with 23% of U.S. retail purchases expected to be made online by 2027, the downward pressure on delivery costs remains high. Vayu Robotics aims to address this with what it believes is a more flexible and cost-effective solution poised to significantly impact the logistics and transportation industry. Looking ahead, the company’s founders believe their innovative low-cost robotics technology could expand to a variety of other applications beyond e-commerce delivery.