Small Amazon courier robots, similar to mini-tunas, will no longer deliver orders and disappear from the sidewalks of American cities, and announced the reorientation of the Scout programme and the cessation of the use of experimental technology.
According to the media, the Scout team will be dissolved and most of the 400 members will be offered new jobs at the company, but the Amazon representative has already stressed that the company will not abandon the project completely and will remain the "costa" of the team, which will continue to explore the possibility of using Scout for delivery.
Amazon reports that, in limited field tests, feedback has helped to determine that some aspects of the programme "do not meet client expectations", resulting in the completion and reorientation of such tests, and the project team receiving posts commensurate with their experience and skills.
Amazon began testing Scout as early as 2019, and initially used six vehicles to deliver near his office in Seattle. A small robot deliveryer could follow a pre-defined route on his own, even though he was accompanied by people during the tests. When he arrived at the destination, he could open the lid in the presence of the buyer, allowing him to pick up the goods.
Although the company did not say exactly which aspects of the program "did not meet the needs of the users", it may be simply a lack of funds for the pilot projects, for example, the company recently refused to release the Glow terminals that provided video links to children, possibly because of weak sales.