Loblaw has been testing autonomous driving technology with a human ‘safety driver’ in Ontario since 2020, and began the next phase of its test – without the driver – in August
At first glance, the delivery truck slowly turning out of the parking lot of Loblaw Companies Ltd. headquarters might seem unremarkable. But look closer and you may notice that the steering wheel turns itself. There is no one in the driver’s seat.
“Autonomous vehicles are a reality, and the retail industry, the transportation industry, will be part of that evolution,” said David Markwell, Loblaw’s chief technology officer. “This keeps Loblaw at the forefront of that evolution.”During the tests in Ontario, the five Gatik-powered vehicles completed more than 150,000 deliveries with a human on board.
In addition to securing provincial authorization, Gatik undertook reviews with municipal authorities, and police and emergency services agencies in Peel Region, Brampton and Mississauga. According to the company, in the testing phase, the deliveries never had a safety-related incident. Loblaw also commissioned a third-party safety assessment from a technology-services firm, which Gatik passed, testing both the operation of the vehicles and the technology’s vulnerability to hacking.
Last year, Gatik also removed its drivers from vehicles making deliveries in Arkansas in a partnership with Walmart. Gatik does not build delivery trucks; the company programs driverless technology that powers them. Gatik also has partnerships with pulp and paper manufacturer Georgia-Pacific and shipping company Pitney Bowes, as well as other companies that Mr. Narang said it is not yet disclosing.
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