Produce aisle comes to you
Pilot to bring shoppers food via driverless robot vehicle
Stop & Shop customers could soon be shopping in their driveway with the help of autonomous grocery vehicles summoned using a smartphone app.
The vehicles, created by California-based company Robomart, would arrive at a customer’s home with a selection of fresh produce and other convenience items to choose from. Customers then would select the items they want and send the robot on its way.
The pilot program for the little robot grocers launches this spring in Greater Boston.
“Many of our customers want the opportunity to make their own choices when it comes to fresh produce, and we’re proud to be the first retailer to engage with Robomart to address our customers’ needs with their cuttingedge solution,” said Mark McGowan, Stop & Shop president.
The self-driving grocers won’t be completely autonomous at first. They will be operated from a remote location by Robomart employees. That gets the company out of applying for an official testing permit with the Department of Transportation.
“MassDOT has had informal conversations with this company and has not received an official testing application,” MassDOT spokesman Patrick Marvin said.
Robomart founder Ali Ahmed said, “We have been speaking with MassDOT and are working with all stakeholders involved to ensure everyone is in the loop prior to our deployment.”
The Robomart vehicles will become fully autonomous after the pilot period, according to Stop & Shop spokeswoman Jennifer Brogan, who did not specify how long the pilot will last.
Brogan said the electric vehicles top out at 25 miles per hour, meaning they won’t travel on the high- way or on roads with speed limits that exceed 35 miles per hour.
Brogan also told the Herald the vehicles are equipped with a proprietary cooling and temperature control system that will keep produce and dairy products fresh.
“We think it’s going to be great. We’ve seen that with people shopping online there certainly is a strong desire for people to pick their own fruits and veggies,” Brogan said.
But not everyone is sold on the idea of on-demand groceries. Brendan Kearney, spokesman for WalkBoston, has reservations about the new service.
“Are we having, all of a sudden, more and more vehicles that are just circling the streets aimlessly?” Kearney said.
“We are hopeful that the city of Boston will ensure that traffic signals are improved to focus on people walking … not prioritizing autonomous vehicles,” he said.