No one at home? Amazon’s robot postie can deliver

AMAZON has designed a robotic postman capable of letting itself into customers’ homes and delivering parcels while they are out.

The small, box-shaped droid can open a front door using a smartlock then employing a robotic arm to pick up the goods from a compartment, before letting itself out. The firm has reportedly published a European patent for “autonomous ground vehicles” (AGV) that retrieve parcels from delivery trucks and deliver them indoors.

The invention features imaging and proximity sensors and GPS to find the way, plus warning lights and mechanisms to “assist with open-access barriers”, such as doors and gates, according to the Evening Standard.

It is proposed that the robots would be owned by a group of neighbours or block of flats, where it could roll out to collect from trucks as required.

The design follows the launch of the Amazon Key security system that includes a smartlock and security camera so users can allow a delivery driver remote access to their home and monitor their entry and exit.