FedEx partners Singapore startup QuikBot to deploy robot deliveries in commercial areas
[SINGAPORE] Courier and logistics giant FedEx has partnered homegrown startup QuikBot Technologies to deploy autonomous delivery robots to commercial areas in Singapore and address challenges that plague deliveries in urban areas.
The tie-up is part of FedEx’s efforts to improve last-mile delivery in the city state by integrating autonomation into deliveries to streamline courier operations and cut down on time, said the company on Friday (Jul 11).
It does so by eliminating wait times at lift lobbies and security checkpoints, to allow couriers to move on quickly to their next destination and prioritise time-sensitive deliveries, said FedEx.
Alan Ng, founder and chief executive officer of QuikBot Technologies pointed out challenges faced by last-mile deliveries: “Last-mile logistics is one of the most expensive and inefficient segments in the supply chain, plagued by labour shortages, rising emissions, and mounting delivery demands.”
Eric Tan, managing director of FedEx Singapore, also noted that delivering in dense urban environments such as Singapore can call for the use of technology.
By improving operational efficiency, QuikBot’s technology addresses the challenges that plague deliveries in such dense urban areas, said Ng.
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Under the collaboration, FedEx couriers drop-off parcels at QuikBot’s forward fulfillment depots at selected buildings clusters, where QuikBot staff verify and load the parcels into secured QuikBoxes which are then transported to their destinations by the robots.
Guided by artificial intelligence agents, the QuikBot robots are capable of navigating lifts and accessing individual floors to complete contactless deliveries without human assistance.
QuikCat, a short-distance autonomous robot designed for quick deliveries, manages shorter distance and floor-to-floor deliveries. Meanwhile QuikFox, a mid-distance autonomous robot capable of carrying up to three QuikBoxes per tip, manages transfers between buildings and hands QuikBoxes to QuikCat for last-mile delivery.
The partnership follows a six-month pilot at two commercial areas – South Beach Tower and Mapletree Business City.
The delivery robots are now fully operational at both sites and are expected to be deployed to more commercial buildings in Singapore by end-2025, FedEx said.
