A certain prepotence is often part of the culture of a start-up. The resourceful spirits develop new paths and technologies that differ diametrically from the well-trodden paths of the established technology establishment. Accordingly, they are also convinced of their idea. This boundless optimism is good and sometimes justified. Otherwise what would have become of Facebook, Uber, Google or Amazon?
In Switzerland, Lara Amini-Rentsch, Amin Amini and Claudio Panizza teamed up a good four years ago to revolutionize last mile logistics with an autonomous vehicle called Loxo Alpha. The first examples should be rolling on public Swiss roads as early as spring 2023. Germany and Great Britain are to follow later. However, the regulatory requirements in Germany are different from those in Switzerland. In addition, the robo-supplier should initially perform its service in clearly defined areas. Nevertheless, an important first step has already been taken.
Sounds exciting and ambitious. So the young Swiss want to do something in less than four years that a lot of engineers have been working on for some time. A combination of different sensors (radar, lidar, sonar, camera) and a powerful algorithm should guide the vehicle safely through the city. And thanks to a 360-degree observation of the environment, which should be possible without a gyrating sensor on the roof. The autonomously acting transporter integrates seamlessly into the flow of traffic, so it is not a rolling traffic obstacle. But even the Loxo Alpha cannot do without human help. Trained employees use remote control and monitors to monitor the robo-suppliers and intervene if necessary.
The vehicle resembles a rolling parcel station and is intended to revolutionize the logistics of delivery services. The loading volume is 2.5 square meters, which should be enough for 64 deliveries during a tour that can go up to 110 kilometers. The fact that the Loxo Alpha consists of 50 percent recycled material almost goes without saying given the start-up’s sustainable claim. In addition, the CO2 footprint is reduced by the principle of shared mobility,” explains Loxo CEO Amin Amini.
The Loxo Alpha is more than a rolling shopping cart. The IT behind the Transportstromer should make the logistics of delivery more efficient and individual. Customers can determine the time of delivery themselves. This tight, perfected schedule also reduces the costs for retailers. “Accordingly, we are convinced that Loxo will revolutionize e-commerce and become the standard for last mile delivery,” says Lara Amini-Rentsch, who is responsible for the economic aspects of the start-up.
The Loxo Alpha enables services such as Autonomous Delivery as a Service (ADaaS). This has three advantages: In addition to deliveries to end consumers or business customers, the vehicle can also be used for so-called hub-hub transport, i.e. from delivery base to delivery base. The Loxo cosmos consists of three elements: the vehicle including maintenance and repairs, a software service package and the “customer success package”, with which the logistics are tailored to the vehicle’s respective application scenario and the customer’s requirements. This also includes the integration of the Loxo Alpha into the customer’s IT.
