Yandex Launches Hybrid Delivery Service Combining Robots and Couriers
The new format combines autonomous delivery robots with human couriers for the final stage of delivery.
Russian tech company Yandex has launched a hybrid delivery model that combines autonomous robots with human couriers.
Under the new system, a Yandex rover handles most of the delivery route. At the final stage, a courier takes the order from the robot and delivers it directly to the customer’s door.
The hybrid delivery option is already available to some Yandex Lavka users in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The company plans to expand the service to all cities where robotic delivery is available and later integrate it into Yandex Eats. The format is expected to help address the ongoing shortage of delivery couriers.
Customers still make the final choice about how an order will be delivered through the mobile app. The company noted that the new option is currently intended for smaller packages that fit inside the robot courier’s cargo compartment.
