Walmart is planning on delivering groceries autonomously in Houston at some point in 2020.
"Walmart [yesterday] announced a new pilot program that will test autonomous grocery delivery in the Houston market starting next year," report Sarah Perez and Kirsten Korosec.
Walmart will rely on a partnership with Nuro, a robotics company that has been using driverless technology to deliver goods to customers in the Houston suburbs for months.
"The autonomous delivery service will involve R2, Nuro’s custom-built delivery vehicle that carries products only, with no on-board drivers or passengers, as well as autonomous Toyota Priuses that deliver groceries," adds Perez and Korosec.
As noted in the article, this isn't Walmart's first autonomous delivery partnership.
The retailer earlier this year tapped the startup Udelv to test autonomous grocery deliveries in Arizona. This summer, it kicked off a test with Gatik AI, an autonomous vehicle startup to test grocery delivery from Walmart’s main warehouse in Bentonville, Ark. Walmart also launched a pilot with self-driving company Waymo in 2018 to test rides to Walmart for grocery pickup, as well as a test with Ford and Postmates for autonomous grocery delivery.
The article includes more insight into the race to corner the autonomous delivery market.
FULL STORY: Walmart partners with self-driving startup Nuro to test autonomous grocery delivery in Houston
California Clears the Way for Autonomous Delivery Vehicles
Safety driver not included.
Suburban Houston a Testing Ground for Autonomous Delivery Tech
The story of how the autonomous delivery company Nuro has taken to the streets of Houston to map the city and test its concept.
The Link Between Smart Cities, Fleet Technology, and Economics
The theoretical planning of smart cities could help make city economies stronger as purchasing becomes more straightforward.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service