- Customers who live within the 2.5-mile delivery radius can sign up for REV-1's pilot lunch delivery program from a choice of four Asian and Mexican restaurants, according to Refraction AI .
- Refraction AI has seen a three to four-time increase in orders with REV-1 since the start of the pandemic.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .
Refraction AI's last-mile delivery robot, the REV-1, is completing lunch deliveries in Ann Arbor, Mich.
REV 1. 5
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Refraction AI's last-mile delivery robot, the REV-1, has seen an increase in lunch delivery requests since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
REV-1's delivery process is simple: the robot picks up the product order at a store and then drives itself to the customer's home. Unsurprisingly, this contactless delivery option is now seeing a demand surge amid the coronavirus pandemic: Refraction AI has received three to four times more orders with the REV-1 since the start of the pandemic.
The company, which first launched in July 2019, built the robot specifically for last-mile deliveries between stores and customers in urban communities like Ann Arbor, Mich., where the pilot program is now taking place.
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Customers in the Ann Arbor community who live within the 2.5-mile delivery radius can sign up for REV-1's pilot lunch delivery program that's partnered with four three Asian and one Mexican restaurants, according to Refraction AI . There are also currently more potential partners still on a waitlist.
Customers who have placed an order with REV-1 will receive delivery updates and a numerical code.
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The code is used to open REV-1's delivery compartment.
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The compartment is about 16 cubic feet, allowing it to hold up to four or five bags.
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The REV-1 program can reduce a restaurant's carbon footprint and costs, according to a statement by REV-1 restaurant partner Miss Kim's managing partner Ji Hye.
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Source: Refraction AI
Refraction AI charges the restaurants a 15% commission per order, which is about half of what delivery platforms like Doordash and Grubhub charge.
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Source: Business Insider
Customers are charged a $3 delivery fee per order.
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In order to keep all parties safe amid the pandemic, Refraction AI added disinfecting UV lights in the bag compartment of the robot.
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The REV-1 is also disinfected between every delivery.
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A REV-1 unit is about the size of a bicycle, standing at 5 feet tall, 4.5 feet long, and 2.5 feet wide.
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Source: Refraction AI
It weighs roughly 100 pounds and can travel up to 15 miles per hour.
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The robot is also "low-power" enough to operate in the bicycle lane, but quick enough to ride in the vehicle lane without increasing traffic, according to its maker.
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Source: Refraction AI
The "nimble" delivery robot which can operate through all four seasons also has a short stopping distance, which means it doesn't require expensive sensors, according to its maker.
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Source: Refraction AI
The startup is now building more robots to meet its rising demands.
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The REV-1s are all controlled by Refraction AI employees who are currently working from home.
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