Refraction unveils a delivery robot that can work in bad weather

Numerous corporations have been investing heavily into robots to carry out a wide array of tasks and maximize efficiency. Retailers as well as e-commerce companies have been sifting through various strategies to improve the efficiency of last mile delivery and robots have been widely touted to be a better solution over human drivers. Refraction is a new and budding startup that has developed an autonomous robot for delivery and aims to tap into the delivery market. Although a niche section in the larger robotics market, delivery robots could still grow to become a considerably large space for robotics companies.

Founded by professors from the University of Michigan’s Robotics Program, Refraction came out of stealth to debut its robot at an event held at the California Theatre on Wednesday. The robot, called REV-1, is about five feet tall and four and a half feet long, weighing about 100 pounds with a top speed of about 15 miles per hour. It contains approximately 16 cubic feet of space for storage of goods. What makes Refractions’s robot unique is its ability to navigate in bad weather conditions, such as rain and snow. It is equipped with a collection of 12 cameras, radar as well as ultrasound to help in the navigation and maneuvering.

The company is initially planning on testing its robot by partnering with restaurants and then moving forward with larger corporations nationwide.