New Deal Design has collaborated with Postmates, to give the "on-demand anything" delivery company an autonomous rover capable of charming the pedestrians it shares the pavement with.
The wheeled Serve robot will dispatch takeaway food, groceries and other items for Postmates, starting in Los Angeles and then rolling out to other US cities where the company operates.
With a colourful exterior and two big "eyes" that communicate its intentions, the rover has an animated appearance that is designed as much for the benefit of passers-by as for the customers it is directly serving.
The wheeled Serve robot will dispatch takeaway food and groceries for Postmates
San Francisco-based New Deal Design (NDD) ? known for the Fitbit, among other tech products ? worked closely with Postmates to come up with a design that would be a "positive presence" on the sidewalk. "Serve was meant to be loved and accepted into our urban environment with minimal friction," New Deal Design founder Gadi Amit told Dezeen.
"In general, robots are behaving in ways people are not accustomed to," said Amit. "They are also encroaching on personal and public spaces and disrupting societal norms, such as giving right of way on sidewalks and so on."
"Against such a backdrop, we aimed to defuse valid concerns and anxieties by making Serve lovable at first sight."
Serve has a colourful exterior and two big "eyes"
Serve's lovability com...