JR Hammond and CAAM advocate the path toward Canada’s Advanced Air Mobility future

JR Hammond and CAAM advocate the path toward Canada’s Advanced Air Mobility future

Jul 23, 2025 | Advanced Air Mobility, CAAM, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

The world of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is coming. Transformative and sustainable aircraft capable of carrying passengers and goods are being flight-tested daily by industry leaders like Joby Aviation, Archer and Wisk.

Machines like these – with fixed-wing eVTOL being the most popular design – will one day routinely shuttle goods, services and people over congested cities (Urban Air Mobility). They will also play an important role with Regional Air Mobility, offering access to communities that lack the demand or infrastructure for traditional aviation. Most designs are electric or hybrid, with an emphasis on sustainability.

This brave new aerospace world isn’t going to arrive overnight. There’s the question of certification, ensuring these aircraft meet demanding safety and other criteria. There’s also the challenge of determining how to safely integrate these machines within existing aviation airspace. Plus, there are questions around use-cases – how these technologies can be deployed in the most beneficial and efficient ways. Is an Air Taxi service better than delivering medical supplies? Might one aircraft carry out multiple roles?

These are big questions. But there’s an organisation, Canadian Advanced Air Mobility (CAAM), working closely with companies, regulators and other partners to help chart the path and speak with a unified voice on behalf of the industry. We caught up with CAAM’s Executive Director, JR Hammond, to learn more about what it does – and why it’s so important this body exists.

Above: Wisk’s autonomous eVTOL. Below: CAAM’s JR Hammond

JR Hammond

WHAT IS CAAM?

 

That was the first question we put to JR Hammond. Here’s his answer:

“Canadian Advanced Air Mobility is the national industry association here in Canada that brings together our industry, academic and government (partners) all around the momentum of trying to expedite the operations of these new AAM aircraft in the country of Canada,” he said.

Given the rapid development of these innovative aircraft, in conjunction with the push toward a more sustainable future, CAAM is arguably the right organisation at the right time: We are truly on the cusp of an inflection point in the evolution of aviation.

The roots of CAAM go back to 2018, when JR attended the Uber Elevate Summit in Los Angeles. Some 750 experts, manufacturers and regulators got together to discuss the potential of new eVTOL aircraft. A White Paper was unveiled, with the emphasis on the Air Taxi model.

Hammond wanted to get involved. There were some openings in the field, but they all seemed to require aerospace PhDs and US citizenship. JR didn’t tick any of those boxes but was passionate. He started to envision broader implications on the horizon – and the need for a national AAM organization in Canada.

And so, as an entrepreneur, he decided to create one.

JR returned from that conference and wrote up a business plan – which he pitched far and wide. One person, Eric Lefebvre (then Director of Business and Strategy Development with the National Research Council’s aerospace division) immediately understood the pitch and co-founded CAAM with Hammond. So that’s the origin story in a nutshell.

Since then, the concept of use-cases has broadened far beyond Air Taxis. And it’s that broader potential that really excites JR. He envisions moving critical medical supplies, people, and other goods and services. And not only in congested urban settings – but also serving regions and remote communities underserved by traditional aviation.

“The key language that we like to use is it’s not replacing any of our ground transportation, it’s actually complementing… especially outside of our dense urban city centres moving people, goods and services back and forth,” he says.

“What we know for sure is that Canada does not have the economic or population density to support that Air Taxi concept as our go-to-market strategy. We need to find some of those near-term cargo medical movement opportunities that have high value and high impact for go-to-market and then allow the ecosystem to expand.”

Below: A graphic from the CAAM website explains its purpose/vision

CAAM purpose

WAIT, THERE’S MORE

 

In addition to working closely with industry, regulators and academia, the organisation also works hard at developing  connections. Early in 2025, CAAM hosted a highly successful trade mission to California, where participants were able to tour cutting-edge AAM facilities and engage with industry leaders.

“We are really leaning in to how we connect Canadian champions with some of the global leaders in Advanced Air Mobility like the OEMs of Joby, Archer and Wisk.”

Such missions, he says, serve three key purposes:

  • Seeing the progress of these companies in person and making connections
  • Exploring how Canadian companies can become part of the value chain
  • Examining potential for bringing these OEMs into Canada

CAAM membership has expanded rapidly. And while initial members were largely in the AAM or RPAS space, traditional aviation companies have been coming on board in increasing numbers.

“A lot of conventional aviation organisations are looking to expand and be a part of this new developing Advanced Air Mobility ecosystem,” he says. “The overlap between commercial aviation and Advanced Air Mobility is actually coming closer together.”

 

MOVING FORWARD

 

The other news, big news, is that in June an important document was released. Entitled “Roadmap for Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft Type Certification,” it’s a collaborative effort between the aviation regulatory bodies of Canada (Transport Canada), the US (FAA), New Zealand, the UK and Australia.

The roadmap’s Executive Summary explains the document “sets forth a unified and strategic approach to foster collaboration, safety assurance, technological innovation, and AAM inclusive bilateral agreements. In the face of emerging AAM technologies, including electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the Roadmap outlines a clear path to align aircraft type certification standards, harmonize airworthiness requirements, and facilitate information sharing among network members to maximize the transferability of type certified AAM across the Network, whilst acknowledging an incremental approach to the type certification of AAM aircraft.”

JR Hammond says the document is hugely significant.

“This is something we’ve been waiting for quite a while to go public with,” he says. “We all have common interests in how these new Advanced Air Mobility aircraft will be certified…So it’s a good stick in the sand to start the progress.”

Below: Key points from the Roadmap’s Executive Summary. Image via the National Aviation Authorities Network under Creative Commons 4.0

 

AAM Roadmap

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We are very excited about the coming world of AAM – and particularly about the potential for positive use-cases with Regional Air Mobility, getting critical goods and services (and people!) to regions that have existing barriers to traditional aviation. We’re impressed with the work being carried out in the US, Canada and elsewhere to bring these sustainable innovations forward.

“These are still early days, but AAM has incredible momentum and will someday transform our airspace and enhance use-cases,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “InDro is pleased to be a Project Partner with CAAM under JR’s leadership, and we look forward to playing a significant role in the AAM space in the future.”

In case you missed it earlier, you can download that AAM roadmap here.

You can also hear JR Hammond discuss CAAM at greater length with Scott Simmie in this InDro Sound Byte micro-podcast.

InDro part of new rural Indigenous healthcare drone delivery project

InDro part of new rural Indigenous healthcare drone delivery project

Jul 21, 2025 | Drone Delivery, Eric Saczuk, Indigenous Peoples/First Nations, InDro News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

InDro Robotics is pleased to be part of a newly funded research initiative that will explore delivering healthcare supplies by drone to three separate rural Indigenous communities. The project’s full title is “Implementing Drone Technology in Rural Indigenous Healthcare Systems: The Drone Transport Initiative.”

This news is actually the latest component of a multi-pronged initiative that will examine the need for and effectiveness of such deliveries, how to best ensure the most comprehensive benefits for communities in need, incorporate best practices from a multidisciplinary team – and even develop and test new technologies. The ultimate long-term goal is to develop an efficient and safe long-range drone delivery system that could be deployed at scale to enhance healthcare in remote Indigenous and other isolated communities.

The funding for the newest phase comes from Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF). The Fund typically focuses on “interdisciplinary, international, high-risk/high-reward and fast-breaking research.”

There’s no question that rural Indigenous communities face barriers to access to the healthcare most Canadians take for granted. As the NFRF announcement points out: “Delivering medical supplies to rural Indigenous communities in Canada presents significant challenges, leading to health inequities. Drones offer a promising solution by transporting medical supplies, potentially bridging these gaps in healthcare access. By doing so, this project addresses these inequities and supports the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.”

The Principal Investigator of this portion of the project is Dr. Femke Hoekstra (PhD), Assistant Professor at UBC’s Department of Medicine, Division of Social Medicine in the area of Implementation Science. Her research focuses on improving “health services and care for equity-deserving groups in rural, remote and isolated communities.” She holds multiple other related qualifications/positions – and is a perfect fit to oversee the research.

Above: The Skylane M350, a long-range VTOL InDro is evaluating for use in the project. Below: A previous InDro initiative delivering COVID test supplies to an isolated First Nations community during the peak of the COVID19 pandemic

THE DETAILS

 

Particulars of this new NFRF funded project are now public and available by searching “drone” on this page. The overview makes it very clear this is not simply a delivery project – but a comprehensive research initiative with many medical experts, Indigenous and regional partners, subject matter experts and more. It’s about a *lot* more than simply shuttling supplies by drone. Rather, you could think of it as the early phase of developing a workable system that will attempt to address and unify the many variables required to make all of this work effectively.

Partners in the project include an interdisciplinary team of researchers, health administrators and professionals, members of rural Indigenous communities, industry partners and key decision makers. As the NFRF announcement points out:

“Insights from our initial demonstration phase, environmental scans, and community needs assessment will inform our drone delivery model. Building relationships with the three rural Indigenous communities will be crucial for success, as their views and needs will guide the work.”

The initial phase of the project will focus on communities in northern British Columbia, including the Village of Fraser Lake and Stellat’en First Nation – both remote and a considerable distance west of Prince George. The goal is to provide reliable patient care by moving supplies, lab samples, and medicine between facilities and even directly to patients’ homes.

OBJECTIVES

The funding announcement outlines three specific objectives:

  • Co-develop an innovative model for using drones to deliver medical supplies in rural Indigenous communities
  • Co-implement the use of drone technology in three rural Indigenous communities
  • Co-evaluate partners’ experiences, outcomes and impacts.

Once the preliminary research is complete, InDro Robotics will be an industry partner carrying out the drone deliveries. These will be long-duration, low-risk BVLOS flights over challenging terrain – and where weather conditions could be very different 50 kilometres out from the takeoff point. InDro’s Chief of Flight Ops, Dr. Eric Saczuk, recently met in Prince George with about 30 people involved with the project. To say he was impressed would be an understatement.

“I was blown away at how passionate people were, how serious they were and how excited they were. I really felt like this people are visionaries. They’re definitely looking into the future and that appeals to me a great deal. I would love to positively contribute to that effort on that basis alone.”

There’s a lot of work before the first flights – which will involve a fixed-wing VTOL – take place. There are many considerations on the healthcare and community side of things, ensuring Indigenous partners have the main voice in determining the most pressing needs. Community healthcare workers will have input too – and researchers will want to create a framework so that all of this can be critically assessed for best outcomes.

And that’s before we even get to the drone side of things. There’s topography, range and payload to consider, weather challenges, Detect and Avoid technologies, contingency landing spots – and so much more. In fact, as part of a companion project, InDro is developing ground-based stations that will pepper the route to relay local weather conditions, scan for low-flying aircraft – and relay that data both to the drones and a Mission Control where an operator can someday monitor multiple simultaneous deliveries.

Sound like a lot of work? It will be. And that’s why Dr. Saczuk absolutely embraces it.

“It’s challenging. It’s something that will certainly move the needle forward in terms of establishing what needs to happen in order to operationalize these types of deliveries.”

Below: (1) The communities include the Village of Fraser Lake and Stellat’en First Nation, with flights to and from Prince George. (2) Dr. Eric Saczuk alongside the Skylane M350 VTOL, a drone we are evaluating for use in the project 

UBC Drone Delivery Village of Fraser Lake
Skylane M350 VTOL Eric Saczuk

INDRO’S TAKE

 

Drone deliveries aren’t new. There are huge success stories in rural healthcare deliveries, with Zipline achieving legendary accomplishments rapidly moving critical medical supplies in Africa. But when it comes to Canada, particularly communities most in need, there has yet to be a carefully thought-out long-range BVLOS system that reliably and consistently serves communities with pressing needs at scale. It takes more than a drone company to execute such a grand vision – it takes a village, and a multidisciplinary one at that.

There is now such a village. And we are very excited to be a member.

“We hear about various pilot projects, about instances where people try things out,” says Dr. Saczuk. “But I think this has the potential – out of all the projects and products I’ve been involved with – to really establish it as an operational service that could actually overcome some of those gaps and barriers to the delivery of medical services to remote First Nations communities.”

As mentioned, there are other partners onboard this ambitious project, with each carrying out interconnected and synergic roles. These include the CAN Health Network and INSAT – the Institute for Sustainable Aviation Technology. You’ll be hearing more about their roles later.

This is an important, long-term project which we hope will result in immense benefits for multiple communities. We look forward to keeping you updated along the journey.

Bipedal robots step into the scene

Bipedal robots step into the scene

Jul 17, 2025 | bipedal, bipedal vs humanoid, Humanoids, Industry 4.0, Industry News, robots that walk, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

There’s been a lot of buzz over bipedal robots in recent years.

Companies like Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, Unitree and others have developed powerful algorithms and leading edge hardware to make what was once science fiction a reality. There are now an increasing number of walking (and sometimes talking) upright robots that get around on two legs. These tend to be humanoids, but they are bipedal.

There’s a certain cool factor to seeing robots that walk like people. But the push for bipedal robots is also driven by infrastructure: Factories and other settings where such devices might be deployed have been built for people. So robots that can walk and are roughly human size can work in such spaces without infrastructure changes.

“With the automobile, we had to build roads,” said Jonathan Hurst, Chief Technology Officer of Agility Robotics, in an explanatory video. “With legged robots we’ve already built the infrastructure. Legged robots are going to change the world as much as the automobile did.”

As the saying goes, time will tell. But before we proceed, it’s worth mentioning that bipedal doesn’t necessarily mean humanoid.

“A humanoid typically mimics the human form – so it has a head, torso, arms and legs,” explains Luke Corbeth, InDro’s Head of R&D Sales.

“Bipedal simply means it walks on two legs, but it doesn’t need to look human. So while most humanoids are bipedal, not all bipedal robots are humanoids.”

Below: Agility’s Cassie – a bipedal, non-humanoid robot. Immense R&D went into developing this machine, with many of the lessons learned applied to its current Digit humanoid

THE BIPEDAL-HUMANOID CONNECTION

 

As the video illustrated, bipedal robots aren’t necessarily humanoid (though they can be). But since the non-humanoid versions don’t have arms or manipulators, what are the use-cases?

First off, they’re critical tools in the R&D space. Before any company attempts a full-blown humanoid, it needs to perfect locomotion, balance and gait. That, of course, requires intensive hardware and software development. Many in the research space don’t have the time or resources to build from scratch. By starting with an existing bipedal robot they can rapidly start working on improving algorithms, adding autonomy stacks, machine vision, etc.

“Achieving stable and efficient bipedal locomotion is really the first critical milestone – so it involves doing things like balancing the gait, being very energy efficient and knowing how to recover from various disturbances,” says Corbeth. “But once that’s dialed in, you can build advanced capabilities on top of it, things like manipulation or autonomous navigation. So starting with a bipedal platform can help clients achieve their ultimate goals much sooner”

Not surprisingly, clients for bipedal, non-humanoid platforms are often in the R&D space.

“For anyone specifically researching bipedal locomotion, these devices make sense,” he adds. “It allows them to really focus on research and control, computer vision and AI applications. It’s an accessible platform for labs to really accelerate their work on humanoids.”

In other words, perfecting a bipedal platform is critical in the development of full humanoid robots.

 

RISE OF THE HUMANOIDS

 

We recently took a dive into humanoids here.

To recap briefly, humanoids are on the rise because their form factor allows them to integrate with existing infrastructure. With arms and manipulators/end effectors, they can carry out many of the tasks that humans perform. Bipedal design means they can climb stairs or navigate other obstacles. Even humanoids with wheels or tracks can now carry out these manoeuvres.

“Humanoid robots have become one of the most frontier topics in the field of robot research [1],” states this research paper. “Owing to the human-like structures and strong environmental adaptability [2], biped robots can directly operate the tools and vehicles used by humans, showing wide application prospects in fields such as home service, industrial manufacturing and environmental detection [3]…Ongoing research…shows great potential in human–robot collaboration and autonomous operation [6].”

Many of the tasks bipedal robots will eventually carry out aren’t even fully known yet, as these new commercial products are very much – despite some really impressive machines – in the early stages of adoption and deployment. It’s a safe bet that every company currently selling bipedal or humanoid robots is hard at work in the lab on the next generation. There’s a lot of development in the pipeline.

“Better battery life is kind of on everyone’s wishlist – the runtime of a humanoid or bipedal robot simply isn’t as long as some of the traditional wheeled or track systems. There are also other things like faster and safer locomotion and, of course, dexterous hands,” says Corbeth.

We hit up AI for some thoughts on where these machines are going. It concurs that the full benefits of bipedal robots have yet to be realised.

“While bipedal robots offer unique advantages, it’s worth noting that they are still under development, and their efficiency and practicality in certain applications are still being evaluated. For example, wheeled robots might be more energy-efficient for certain tasks on flat surfaces. However, for navigating complex, unstructured environments and interacting with human-scale tools and spaces, bipedal robots offer a promising solution.”

In addition to humanoids, InDro now offers a strictly bipedal, non-humanoid platform primarily for R&D. As with most platforms, our engineers are currently working on expanding its capabilities to enable it more fully for R&D and industrial clients. We will soon be integrating InDro Cortex, a brain-box that enables everything from remote teleoperation and sensor integration to fully autonomous and/or easily programmable missions.

“We’re looking to add our Cortex solution – the hardware and the software and the autonomy – to our humanoids and bipedal robots,” says Corbeth. “We see opportunities to integrate advanced autonomy, teleoperation and perception pipelines into this equipment…making them a turnkey solution for advanced humanoid development and real-world testing.”

Below: A great video explanation of the bipedal advantage, followed by the bipedal robot InDro now has available

Multi Modal Biped Robot

INDRO’S TAKE

 

Bipedal robots are the precursor to full-blown humanoids. Not only does the humanoid form factor work well in existing infrastructure, they’re seen by many as the ideal collaborative robots, or co-bots. People seem more at ease with something that looks vaguely human (with the notable exception of Terminator’s T800).

“The human form factor is just intuitive for people to interact with – and the similar size helps them use human tools and really fit in well in workspaces,” says Corbeth. “Some may argue as well they also kind of build trust, which is crucial for collaborative robots operating around or with people.”

And for those in the R&D space looking for a bipedal-only platform, we’ve got you covered.

We look forward to sharing more about our bipedal and humanoid robots in future, particularly once we’ve supercharged them with InDro Cortex. If you’re curious to learn more, feel free to contact Luke Corbeth.

Will Robots Replace Humans at Scale?

Will Robots Replace Humans at Scale?

Jul 7, 2025 | InDro News, Industry 4.0, Industry News, Robots, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

The robots are coming. And, in many places, they’re already here.

Robotic automation has long been integral to manufacturing at scale. Think automobile factories, for example. Robotic arms weld, paint, lift heavy parts – all jobs that at one point in the past were done by humans. We’re all familiar with videos of this process.

But in recent years, we’ve seen something of an inflection point in robotics. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are increasingly common, shuttling goods and lifting heavy loads. There are robots that can load and unload trucks, using special grippers or end effectors. Delivery robots are ubiquitous in some parts of the world, with China leading the pack. And then there’s drones, with companies like Zipline seemingly perfecting the art of small deliveries and shifting from solely medical deliveries to convenience items. Automated devices now unload and place containers from ships – an innovation that led to labour disruptions as longshoremen in the US protested that these machines jeopardise their livelihoods,

The list goes on. And, with the growth now of humanoid robots – which require no infrastructure changes and can carry out many tasks done by humans – the inevitable question arises: Will robots someday replace humans at scale?

It’s a big question. And, for some, kind of a scary one. So we thought we’d explore some thoughts, and predictions, with someone thoroughly in the know: InDro’s Director of Engineering, Arron Griffiths (below).

A GOOD SOURCE

 

We tapped Arron not only because he’s our Director of Engineering, but because he has lived and breathed technology his entire life. Born in Birmingham, he comes from a line of engineers and technologists that goes way back. In fact, because of his father’s profession his family was the first in his neighbourhood to have the internet, and Arron grew up with computers.

“My father is an internet engineer and my grandfather was a welder by trade, and then his father was an engineer and we think his father was an engineer,” says Griffiths. “There’s a lineage on my dad’s side of engineers and skilled trades we believe going all the way back to being tinkerers or something.”

So it’s not surprising that an engineer who has spent decades in robotics spends a lot of time thinking about robots. Not just the mechanics and software – but about their implications. So we asked him: Will robots replace humans at scale?

“It is basically a fear of everyone around robotics, particularly AI as well,” he says. “The answer is yes and no – and let me elaborate a little bit.”

He does so, with a long-term perspective.

“Every Industrial Revolution has caused disruption in some form or another and displaced humans from classical (tasks) in agriculture or industrial manufacturing…so there is definitely going to be a painful period where robotics is adopted, and jobs that were once held by humans get sort of outpaced.”

The driving force here, as with previous Industrial Revolutions, is economics. If a robot can efficiently carry out tasks at a lower overall cost than humans, the case is there for them to be adopted.

“But the trick is to ensure that the economy is growing at the same time. And if the economy is growing, there will always be the need for more people.”

And if the economy doesn’t grow?

“That’s the real scary part. If the economy doesn’t grow with the scale of robotics adoption, then there would be significant disruption, maybe even humans resisting robotics. But if everything grows at a good rate, I think robotic adoption will take maybe 10 years, but there will be a rough patch.”

 

WE’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE

 

Remember when Automated Teller Machines were introduced at scale back in the 1970s? There was consternation that tellers would become obsolete. That didn’t happen. Yes, they were convenient for a fast withdrawal or deposit, but ATMs can’t answer questions, can’t assist people with the many reasons they go to a bank. And so yes, every bank has one of those machines. But they also still have tellers.

The same concerns popped up when automated checkouts started appearing at retail outlets. Would sales staff and checkout people disappear? They haven’t (though it’s possible some companies have downsized their staff). But again, automation did not simply replace humans.

A big part of the reason is because human interaction is at the very core of many businesses and our daily lives – and robots are not even close to reaching the stage of handling those complex interactions. Human beings possess qualities that robots do not, at least not yet. Things like creativity, emotional intelligence, the ability to adapt to unforeseen situations.

“Humans are still always going to be needed because we’re never going to be able to get robots in the near term to think, feel, imagine, communicate quite like a human with other humans directly,” says Griffiths. “So yeah, I think humans definitely have a one up and will have that advantage for the foreseeable decade or so.”

The other thing Griffiths points out is that robotics are definitely more prevalent in more technologically developed parts of the word – and there are huge swaths of the planet where they are relatively rare and that adoption will take a very long time.

“In Western industry, we’ll definitely see a lot more automation. But in emerging markets like Africa, India, (they’re) still going to rely on humans. So it depends on where you are in the world, I think.”

The caveat? It used to always be said that robots are perfect for jobs that are dirty, dull and dangerous. That’s still true. But with advances in AI and Large Language Models (as well as the development of humanoids and other collaborative robots, or co-bots intended to work alongside humans) we are potentially at the early stages of a shift. Robots will, in future, take on more tasks that aren’t simply one of the three Ds.

Below: Agility’s Digit, showing off its ability to pick up ingredients for a pasta dinner. Yes, it’s slow. But you can be confident it will get faster, Still, we’re willing to bet most people will prefer to do their own shopping. A robot can’t make the split-decisions a human is likely to make when selecting one product over another, for example. 

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We are definitely in changing times. Advances in robotics will continue – and most of the current demand is indeed for robots that can carry out those dirty, dull and dangerous jobs. But, over time, we’ll see more of them carrying out other tasks and developing greater problem solving skills – including (with AI) the ability to communicate more easily with humans.

But are we on the cusp of an era where there will be mass displacement of humans?

“There will be some disruption in the future for sure,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “But, as we’ve seen with previous Industrial Revolutions and the adoption of ATMs etc, the sky didn’t fall. There will also be more jobs created in robotics, AI, and other related fields we can’t even foresee yet. Will robots continue to expand in fields where they can help humans and productivity? Absolutely. But human beings are resilient, creative and adaptable. And – though I’m obviously a fan of what robots can do – there will always be a human advantage. Yes, the robots are coming. But they’re not going to rule the world.”

InDro, by the way, focuses on custom R&D and robots for clients and our own inspection and scanning products that cater to the dirty, dull and dangerous. We’re not out to replace your job – only to enhance productivity where it’s a fit.

Kiwibot: A Level 4 Autonomy robotic solution for delivery, advertising – and more

Kiwibot: A Level 4 Autonomy robotic solution for delivery, advertising – and more

Jun 16, 2025 | Industry News, RealLife Robotics, Robotics, Robots, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

There’s been a quiet robotics revolution underway.

At some 20 campuses across the US – and elsewhere globally – small robots built by Kiwibot have been busy. Day and night, they carry out autonomous food deliveries for hungry students. Sometimes, those same robots are branded with advertising for special events and carry a logo or QR code rather than food.

“Clients are willing to pay to have the bots branded and have them appear at specific events,” explains Maria Valdez, a Business Developer with the company. “For example, for Amazon Web Services (AWS), we were in almost five different locations.”

With between 400 and 500 robots currently deployed, Kiwibot has made significant and impressive inroads toward a future where robotic delivery is likely to become ubiquitous. And the company has big plans going forward.

Below: A video showing a university Kiwibot deployment. The company has grown significantly during the three years since this was produced



THE BUSINESS CASE

 

It’s pretty easy to see the appeal for advertising. Robots aren’t yet common, so they catch people’s attention. The Kiwibot robots have also been designed to appear friendly or ‘cute’ to humans, so there’s immediate interest when one rolls up. Ad campaigns also tend to be brief and don’t require a long-term financial commitment.

When it comes to delivery, that’s a different scenario. While robots may well have a cool factor, businesses always take a hard look at the bottom line. So Kiwibot needs to deliver not only food – but also a return on investment. Here, the company says it has consistently demonstrated significant savings when compared with using human couriers.

That’s proven to be enough incentive for Kiwibots to be deployed on more than 20 university campuses so far in the US, with more to come. Kiwibot has partnered with a global food services company on these campuses.

“The students use an app and order food directly from campus restaurants run by this company – or from any other restaurants that partner with this food services firm,” explains Business Developer Valdez. “One of our technicians takes the food and loads the bot. The bot then navigates autonomously from Point A to multiple points to deliver the packages.”

In addition to the cost savings, data shows Kiwibot delivery is faster than having a human carry out the task – meaning customers receive their food as quickly as possible.

 

EXPANSION

.

Though Kiwibot has an impressive track record with US university campuses, it also has broader ambitions. The company is expanding and pursuing other global partnerships. 

One such partnership is in Canada with Real Life Robotics, where together they are running an urban pilot program for food delivery with Skip. In this pilot, robots are roaming the streets of Markham, Ontario (and generating a lot of buzz). 

Kiwibot has also formed a strategic alignments with a major warehouse automation and last-mile delivery firm, where it is deploying its larger capacity Cargobot (designed for moving cargo) on a 24/7 basis. In addition, Kiwibot has deployments in multiple locations in the tech-heavy Middle East.

But the biggest plans have yet to be fully unveiled. Kiwibot is transitioning to Robot.com – with plans for an official launch this summer. Full details are being kept under wraps at the moment, but the home splash page looks pretty intriguing.

Kiwibot has also been promoting a leasing model, where you can rent a robot – in the case of advertising – for as little as two hours. The company leases three different bots: Kiwibot Leap (for food and small package delivery), Kiwibot for Advertising (where branding is applied), and the company’s Cargobot for warehouses and factories.

All robots function autonomously, though a human being is always monitoring their progress and can take over if necessary at places like crowded crosswalks. What’s more, the Kiwibot Leap is capable of scanning walkways for anomalies while it carries out deliveries. If it spots something amiss, like a large crack or pothole etc., it can flag the location and capture an image of the anomaly. That data can then be shared with the university (or municipality) so that maintenance can rectify the problem.

Below: Fresh food, freshly delivered, via Kiwibot





Kiwibot

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We’re impressed with Kiwibot. The company has been executing on its strategic vision and appears to have a solid growth trajectory. Its platforms are technologically solid with Level 4 autonomy and have been designed to blend into our human world.

“Getting robots from the R&D stage into real-world applications – particularly applications in the public space – isn’t easy,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “Getting more than 400 robots out and running on a daily basis is no small task, and Kiwibot is poised to be a major contender – if not a leader – in the robotic delivery and advertising space. We are thrilled to see the partnership with Real Life Robotics and hope to see that expand in future.”

We’ll be keeping an eye on Kiwibot, and will update when Robots.com is officially launched.

 

InDro on the road: Four major conferences in a month

InDro on the road: Four major conferences in a month

Jun 5, 2025 | Events, InDro Cortex, InDro News, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

We’ve been busy.

Our Head of R&D Sales, Luke Corbeth, has been on the road – hitting up four conferences in three countries in less than a month. During that time, he’s met with potential clients, seen cutting-edge research, and even officially launched the new InDro Cortex.

It’s always a challenge, selecting which conferences to attend. But we try to be strategic, attending those which combine a chance to meet with new and existing clients while learning as much about new trends and research as possible.

For Corbeth, who has just returned from a show in the UK, it’s all about opportunities.

“Some of these conferences are truly the place to meet with people who are at the forefront of R&D and new use-case scenarios,” says Corbeth. “These people are often leveraging either our technology or tech from other manufacturers and integrators. These events are a great way to stay on top of things.”

Below: Luke at the big AUTOMATE 2025 show in Detroit

Luke Corbeth Automate

AUTOMATE 2025

 

This was the first stop on our tour.

In early May, Corbeth headed to the AUTOMATE 2025 show in Detroit – one of the premiere annual automation events. We were guests at the big Ericsson booth, where the company was highlighting its Ericsson 5G Private network, or EP5G. Large companies with smart factories and high degrees of automation are increasingly opting for private 5G networks for their security, high bandwidth and low-latency. Literally thousands of smart or embedded devices can share data in real-time on a private 5G network.

To show off the potential of private 5G, companies like Ericsson (which is the world’s largest provider of cellular network hardware) need to showcase tangible use-cases. And so Corbeth was there with Captis, a cycle-counting and precision scanning autonomous robot built for warehouse environments. InDro Robotics is the incubator of Cypher Robotics and helped do the R&D work on Captis. 

“We make private 5G sexy,” laughs Corbeth. “Captis is a prime example of a technology that effectively leverages private 5G networks.”

 

ICRA

 

Next, it was off to Atlanta for the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, or ICRA. Once again, there was plenty of automation and robotics on display, but the real emphasis at ICRA is on research. Posters and papers are a big part of the event, which draws some of the leading global researchers and thought leaders.

“ICRA is more of a forward-looking conference when compared with Automate,” explains Corbeth. “You’re really getting a peek at technologies, algorithms and use-cases that are coming down the pipeline.”

ICRA attracts a *lot* of researchers from the academic world, and a significant portion of InDro’s clients are from universities. At this event, InDro displayed its new Cortex – an exceedingly powerful module for robot integration and teleoperation – for the first time in public.

“Cortex is a platform- and sensor-agnostic brain box,” he says. “It can be attached to any platform – wheeled, tracked, quadruped, humanoid or drone. Because it’s plug and play, anyone who already has some combination of platforms and sensors can quickly build a robot around it.”

InDro also displayed its ROS2-based drone, developed by InDro for R&D use-cases. You’ll be hearing more about that in the future.

 

IDEaS

 

From Atlanta, it was back to Ottawa for the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) event. Put on by the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Air Force, there was definitely some emphasis on military applications such as Counter-UAS technology. InDro is prioritised on positive use-case scenarios, such as logistics, mapping, Search and Rescue, cargo delivery etc.

“We have really maintained our focus on drones and robots for good,” says Corbeth.

 

UK

 

And last, but not least, Luke jet-setted to the UK for the big Smart Manufacturing Expo in Birmingham. It could be described as the UK’s equivalent of Automate, with the focus on automation and robotics in the manufacturing sector. At the June 4-5 event, Corbeth was representing the Captis cycle-counting solution.

“Really, we were exploring whether potential clients in the UK are experiencing some of the same problems with cycle counting that existing clients in Canada, New Zealand and the UAE have. There was a tremendous amount of interest in Captis.”

Below: Another show, another booth for Luke Corbeth. Second photo shows Luke with senior Ericsson staff Jan Diekmann, Alan Minney and John Tomik. InDro shared the stage with Ericsson in Birmingham to discuss the future of smart factories and private 5G networks

Luke Corbeth
Luke Birmingham Ericsson Jan Diekmann, Alan Minney and John Tomik

INDRO’S TAKE

 

As mentioned, we choose conferences carefully in order to maximise our spend, exposure, and client outreach. Corbeth was able to meet with many existing clients and develop new relationships that could lead to strategic partnerships and/or sales. Perhaps most importantly, he was able to showcase Cortex, our new ROS2 R&D drone, as well as promote the Captis cycle-counting/precision scan solution.

“It’s been a very busy month for Luke and InDro Robotics,” observes InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “We are very excited about both Cortex and our R&D drone and are on a trajectory to manufacture these at scale later this year. We’re pleased to see the level of interest in these products – and have no doubt the investment we’ve made in attending these events will pay off.”

Interested in learning more about either of those products? You can get in touch with Luke (who may still be jet-lagged) right here.