A popular Chinese food delivery is kicking off a trend by employing some mechanical exoskeletons seemingly inspired after a video game that help its employees deliver foods to customers with less effort.
The project comes as a collaboration between Ele.me and ULS Robotics.
A Delivery Equipment of the Future
Once equipped, the delivery skeletons essentially give deliverymen the ability to carry stacks of food with ease.
A video portraying such came from the news site, Sixth Tone. It features a guy walking rather robotic with a few stacks of food on his back.
Straight out of a video game: China’s ubiquitous food-delivery app https://t.co/O6kOT9RrJG caught the Chinese internet’s attention this week after testing a powered exoskeleton for its couriers. The exoskeleton endows the wearer with the strength to carry up to 50 kg with ease. pic.twitter.com/4elmxRhLDU
— Sixth Tone (@SixthTone) April 30, 2020
Based on the viral video, a single person could carry as much as three boxes at their backs with the gear. Whether or not the exoskeleton gear could handle more than three stacks, however, remains to be seen.
However, available information claims that the said gear is capable of handling up to 110 pounds (50 kilos) of weight. It only suggests of the equipment’s ability to carry a tower-high worth of food deliveries.
For Better Efficiency
Deliveries of that nature are hardly fast by foot. However, with the ability to carry multiple boxes at the time, the need to move back and forth for each box is necessarily cut off. This makes deliveries more efficient than doing it on a one-to-one means, even if hindered.
Inspired After a Video Game
While ingenious, the equipment appears to be inspired after a video game. Specifically, from Kojima Production’s first brainchild as an independent company, Death Stranding.
Individuals who had played or seen the game will recall a similar style of delivery with its protagonist, Sam Bridges. Sam, being a delivery guy essentially, moves from one place to the next carrying packages. But never in a smooth sailing manner, considering the hostiles in places.
However, unlike the fictional character, Sam does not employ high-tech gear when making long-distance deliveries by foot or by wheels. Instead, Death Stranding’s protagonist carries every weight with his pair of strong legs; essentially the foundation of the game’s successful deliveries.
Although designed with more breadth than merely a kind of ‘delivery guy’ game, it’s criticised for being a ‘walking simulator’ by some critics. The critique lies in the game’s major investment to traveling in line with some avoidable combats.
Despite censure by some, Death Stranding gets mostly positive reviews by pundits due to its high ambitions and amazing presentation. The game is also remarked for having a start-studded cast, such as the likes of Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Lea Seydoux, etc.
Death Stranding makes for a risk that is uncommon in the revenue-centered industry of video games.
It seems that the future is looking bright for the food delivery service with delivery exoskeletons being mass produced and tested in China.
Image used courtesy of Twitter/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN
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