Deutsche Post's Newest Mailman is a Robot

If you are living in Bad Hersfeld, German, expect the Deutsche Post's newest mailman ‘PostBOT’ on your doorstep. 

Just like Amazon's drone delivery and Domino's automated robot delivery, DHL also wants a solution to lift the physically challenging work of its employees to make them happy and continue to deliver the service for long time. Although they are already using e-bikes and e-trickes for their deliveries, DHL doesn’t seem to stop at that point. DHL is testing a newest method ‘PostBOT’.

"Day in and day out, our delivery staff performs outstanding but exhausting work. We're constantly working on new solutions to allow our employees to handle this physically challenging work even as they continue to age,"

Deutsche Post has selected the German town of Bad Hersfeld as its test site for a robot to accompany mail deliverers on their routes and carry their mail items. If you are lucky enough and falling in one of the two delivery districts of Bad Hersfeld, don’t be surprised to see self-propelled electric "PostBOT" accompanying the mail carrier on your streets.

'Postbot' can carry mails and parcels up to 150kgs which is about 6 post trays. It helps mail carrier to free his hands and give a better service to customers. Robot can track carrier’s legs via its sensors, navigate obstacles and stop. So, mailman doesn’t have to worry about losing robot on the way. It will follow him as a partner no matter what. It can survive in any weather condition so, there is no need of any protection from sun and rain. "Postbot’s" movements are perfect due to control elements in back and joints.

Deutsche post test it for six weeks followed by a period of assessment. Project was announced at a joint press conference between mayor of Badhersfield and CEO of post e-commerce. Deutsche post is watching the pilot project carefully to see how well robot supports the members with their work. In near future if you see a mail carrier walking with a nice-looking robot don’t be amazed; it might be this “postbot”.