Autonomous vehicles and delivery robots are viewed as useful in supply-constrained markets where labor is scarce and expensive, limiting expansion of delivery networks. A pilot for Grab’s first delivery robot will launch in Singapore’s Punggol district in late 2026 as part of a broader push into physical AI and robotics. The pilot will involve multiple companies testing embodied AI technologies in Punggol, with Grab focusing on food delivery while others target parcel delivery, cleaning, and security patrols. Grab’s robot, Carri, will automate last-mile delivery tasks such as moving packages from the roadside to apartment doors, a step estimated to take 10% of a driver’s working time. Robots are also expected to add richer real-time data to support optimization.
"“We see AVs as really useful in supply-constrained markets,” chief technology officer Suthen Paradatheth told Fortune in an interview on the sidelines of the Asia Tech (ATx) summit on May 20. “There are certain classes of passengers which are underserved, because they're in remote locations and drivers are not often in that area.”"
"“Over 70% of our deliveries are over two kilometers, but it's the stages that come before and after [the journey] which are tedious for drivers,” Paradatheth said during a panel at the ATx summit. “This is where we see robots really adding value.”"
"Grab’s new robot, named Carri, will automate last-mile delivery, such as taking a package from the roadside to an apartment's front door; Grab estimates this step takes up 10% of a driver's working time."
"“Grab already has a bird's eye view on the flows of materials and services throughout the city,” Paradatheth explained. “By adding in robots, we have a greater richness of real-time data, which will allow us more opportunities for optimization.”"
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]