Meet Geoffrey, the autonomous delivery robot: foodora teams up with Tiny Mile on artificially intelligent delivery


TORONTO, March 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, foodora is launching a brand-new partnership with Toronto-based Tiny Mile, the creators of “Geoffrey,” the safe, small and friendly delivery robot. Weighing just 10 lb., Geoffrey plays a big role in the future of no-contact, sustainable, artificially intelligent (AI), on-demand delivery in Canada.

Named after Geoffrey Hinton, an acclaimed computer scientist and “godfather of machine learning,” Geoffrey can carry up to 6 lb. in its “trunk” – the approximate equivalent of an $80 takeout order, and travels at a maximum speed of 6 km/hour, delivering to a one-mile radius from a downtown Toronto restaurant within 15 minutes.

“I thought we’d be relying on autonomous cars by now, but since this isn’t yet a reality, we adapted the same methods to create a functional product in the short term,” said Ignacio Tartavull, CEO, Tiny Mile. “Our exclusive partnership with foodora allows us to be at the forefront of eco-friendly AI delivery. We hope to have 50 robots delivering with foodora by July 2020 – the possibilities are endless.”

Geoffrey is equipped with five cameras that provide the “driver” behind the remote control with a wide-angle view (220 degrees), zooming capabilities to see building addresses and the ability to see well at night. The robot is electric with a 12-hour battery life, making it one of the most ecological ways to move goods in a dense, urban environment.

“To better serve our Canadian customers, we’re always seeking out fresh ways to reduce our carbon footprint, while making strides in the on-demand delivery space,” said David Albert, managing director, foodora Canada. “For now, we’re piloting three delivery robots with Tiny Mile in Toronto with plans to add more. We look forward to growing together – with the environment and innovation in mind.”

For now, Tartavull and his team will walk with the robots to educate restaurants and customers on how to interact with Geoffrey. While out on delivery, Geoffrey’s trunk is locked so no one can tamper with its contents.

For more information, visit http://www.tinymile.ai.

foodora
foodora is dedicated to bringing Canadian food lovers their favourite meals from a curated list of local restaurants. Since 2015, the on-demand food delivery service has grown to more than 3,000 partner restaurants in 10 cities across Canada. Belonging to Delivery Hero, a worldwide leader of the food delivery industry, foodora is a sustainably focused company that strives to reduce its carbon footprint through its use of bikes and its commitment to reducing single-use plastic. For more information, visit http://www.foodora.ca.

Contact Information
Sadie Weinstein
Communications, foodora Canada
sadie.weinstein@foodora.ca

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6c72467-60d4-4d4f-a744-b32aece53e43

Geoffrey on the street