At the international Consumer Electronics Show today, Ottonomy Inc. showed its Ottobots, delivery robots for both indoor and outdoor environments. The Santa Monica, Calif.-based company has been developing the autonomous mobile robots for the restaurant and retail industries.
“We are excited to unveil Ottobots at our first CES,” said Ritukar Vijay, CEO of Ottonomy. “The pandemic has provided Ottobots a catalyst enabling a series of partnerships that allowed us to launch fully autonomous delivery for indoor deliveries, curbside deliveries, and last-mile deliveries.”
Ottonomy said its robots can provide contactless deliveries through a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model. The company is backed by Connetic Ventures and angel investors.
Ottobots use proprietary navigation
The Ottobots create a digital map of the serviceable area and localize within that map. Their live locations get updated on the map while they are navigating autonomously to deliver the orders.
Ottonomy said its proprietary, contextual mobility navigation software enables the mobile robots to navigate through crowded and unpredictable environments. The company claimed that its entire system is highly scalable and flexible, and it uses a comprehensive suite of tools for managing a fleet of robots deployed throughout different locations.
Ottobot pilots started running during the pandemic in 2020. These robot deliveries have gathered additional data to further develop the program and user experience as more rollouts happen across the country.
Ottonomy begins public demonstrations
Ottobot has performed “the world’s first fully autonomous delivery robot at an airport,” according to Ottonomy, delivering retail and food items at CVG Airport in Cincinnati.
The company has also partnered with Los Angeles-based Crave, for last-mile food delivery for its restaurant customers. Ottonomy said that one of the world's largest retailers is evaluating its technology for multiple use cases.
In December 2021, Presto, a leading provider of restaurant automation, announced that its partner restaurant guests will be able to order using Presto’s technology and have the food delivered via Ottonomy’s robots.
To support its effort to roll out Ottobots across North America over the next 18 months, Ottonomy has formed a strategic partnership with ARO, a global leader in robotic management, operations, and support. ARO will provide support including implementation, daily operations, robotic fleet management, and complete robot lifecycle management.
In addition, Ottonomy has joined NewLabs at the Brooklyn Naval Yard in New York, where it will be running additional pilots.
The company is on-site at CES 2022 in Las Vegas this week. Visitors can find Ottonomy at Booth 9648 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, North Hall.