PARIS - Four decades after R2-D2 delivered a vital message from Princess Leia in the hit movie "Star Wars", a French supermarket group plans to use robots inspired by the drum-shaped droid to transport food to customers in Paris.
Stepping up the race for automated deliveries with online retailers such as Amazon, Casino's Franprix chain will test the delivery robots on the streets of Paris's 13th arrondissement for a year.
In the French capital, where Amazon has been running its Amazon Prime Now express delivery service since 2016, the speedy and convenient delivery of food has become a battleground among retailers.
"This droid will facilitate the life of city dwellers. The last mile delivery is crucial. This is what builds the relationship with customers," Franprix Managing Director Jean-Paul Mochet said of the service, which will be free.
"We are going to test three droids in this store. If the test is successful, we may extend it to other Franprix stores."
Franprix and its partner, French start-up TwinswHeel which developed the as yet unnamed robot, are running the test after the city's authorities approved the southeastern arrondissement for the experiment.
Stepping up the race for automated deliveries with online retailers such as Amazon, Casino's Franprix chain will test the delivery robots on the streets of Paris's 13th arrondissement for a year.
In the French capital, where Amazon has been running its Amazon Prime Now express delivery service since 2016, the speedy and convenient delivery of food has become a battleground among retailers.
"This droid will facilitate the life of city dwellers. The last mile delivery is crucial. This is what builds the relationship with customers," Franprix Managing Director Jean-Paul Mochet said of the service, which will be free.
"We are going to test three droids in this store. If the test is successful, we may extend it to other Franprix stores."
Franprix and its partner, French start-up TwinswHeel which developed the as yet unnamed robot, are running the test after the city's authorities approved the southeastern arrondissement for the experiment.
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