Russian Post partners with Yandex to start using robots for delivery!

Recently, Russian Post announced a partnership with technology giant Yandex , and self-driving robots are now being used to deliver express parcels in certain neighborhoods in Moscow.

In a joint statement, Yandex and Russian Post said 36 of the rectangular, suitcase-sized robots are now delivering parcels at around 27 post offices in several regions of the Russian capital as part of a pilot project .

Users can select this delivery option on the Russian Postal Service app , and can track the robot's location on the Russian Post app . Users can receive a notification when the delivery robot arrives and retrieve their parcel by entering a text message verification code.

Russian postal service employees are responsible for charging these delivery robots , replacing batteries and recording delivery addresses in the system . Yandex is responsible for the maintenance and remote support operations of the robots .

The self-driving robots are powered by removable batteries that can be quickly replaced to extend the robot’s lifespan. They use the same technology Yandex SDG uses to develop self-driving cars , so they can navigate sidewalks, pedestrian zones, and crosswalks , and can cycle around the clock.

Stanislav Chernin, head of innovation at Russian Post, said: " Every part of the express logistics chain can be gradually automated. Technology is changing the process at every stage, from the first mile to the last mile . "

Artem Fokin, head of business development at Yandex , said: “Russian Post is one of the largest postal operators in the world and automating its parcel deliveries is a logical step in the evolution of delivery, and we hope to develop this technology further . ”

Russian Post currently has more than 38,000 branches across the country , handling more than 108 million parcels each year . Automation services can improve Russian Post's delivery efficiency to a certain extent. With the rapid development of Russian e-commerce, the number of parcels generated each year is also surging. Russian Post is actively deploying the automation development of the entire logistics chain .

Russian Post

Yandex