DEMO: Skydeck (UC Berkeley) at TC Sessions: Robotics+AI

TL;DR

Kiwi is an app where students can order food and have it delivered by adorable robots, offering more efficiency and affordability compared to other delivery platforms.

Transcript

[Applause] here I got a list of questions here we're gonna do a rapid-fire you're gonna hear it directly from the founders in one minute rapid-fire what does Kimmy do so Kiwi is an app where students around campus and in the campus they can order food and instead of receiving a human they receive one of our cute robots that Miss Cleo and Sasha what... Read More

Key Insights

• ☠️ Kiwi's robots are able to achieve significantly higher delivery rates compared to competitors, making them more efficient.
• 🤖 The company has already delivered a large number of meals and is continuously growing its fleet of robots.
• 👻 Kiwi's parallel autonomy concept, combining human assistance and advanced technology, allows for safe and efficient navigation.
• 🤖 The design and connection aspect of Kiwi's robots have played a significant role in gaining community acceptance.
• 🚚 The company aims to expand its network to 12 campuses in the US, with the goal of becoming the largest robotic delivery platform.
• 🤩 Affordability and accessibility are key values for Kiwi, making their service more accessible to students.
• 💪 Kiwi's success is attributed to listening to the community and building a strong connection with people.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Kiwi's delivery efficiency compare to other legacy robot companies?

Kiwi is able to achieve 15 deliveries per hour with one person, whereas other companies like Uber Eats or GrubHub can only manage one or two deliveries per hour. This makes Kiwi significantly more efficient.

Q: How many meals has Kiwi delivered so far?

Kiwi has delivered over 34,000 meals, making it the company with the highest number of robot-delivered meals in the US.

Q: What technological breakthrough has Kiwi overcome in their delivery process?

Kiwi has implemented a concept called parallel autonomy, which combines inputs from robots' behavioral networks, encoders, GPS, and sensors with human assistance. This ensures safety when crossing streets and enables the robots to operate efficiently without the need for pre-mapping.

Q: How did Kiwi design their robots to be more appealing and connect with people?

Kiwi focused on building a robot that seamlessly fits into the sidewalk environment, with a friendly design and emotive features like a cute face. They started with a simple RC car-like prototype and iterated based on feedback from the community to create a robot that people love.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Kiwi is an app that allows students to order food and have it delivered by cute robots named Miss Cleo and Sasha.

• The company can achieve 15 deliveries per hour with one person, surpassing the capabilities of competitors like Uber Eats or GrubHub.

• Kiwi has already delivered over 34,000 meals and is currently delivering 2,000 meals every week, making it the largest robotic delivery platform in Berkeley.