Dubai Airports joins Customer Advisory Board for FedEx's Roxo

Nov 21, 2019: Dubai airports will join FedEx Express' UAE Customer Advisory Board for Roxo™, the FedEx SameDay Bot. The participation will facilitate collaboration to develop a device to meet business needs in the United Arab Emirates.

Roxo is an autonomous delivery device, designed to travel on sidewalks and along roadsides, safely delivering smaller shipments to customers’ homes and businesses. Its features include pedestrian-safe technology from the iBot, plus advanced technology such as LiDAR and multiple cameras, allowing the zero-emission, battery-powered bot to be aware of its surroundings. These features are coupled with machine-learning algorithms to detect and avoid obstacles, plot a safe path, and allow the bot to follow road and safety rules. Proprietary technology makes it highly capable, allowing it to navigate unpaved surfaces, curbs, and to even climb some steps for an extraordinary door-to-door delivery experience.

Last month, Dubai became the first international city outside the US to host an appearance by Roxo.

Roxo™, the FedEx SameDay Bot, recently made robo-friends at FIRST Global in Dubai. Teams from 193 countries brought their robots, and Dubai marks Roxo’s first appearance outside the U.S. #FedExBot #FGCDubai2019 pic.twitter.com/288qoXdVCh

— FedEx (@FedEx) November 1, 2019

“Feedback from customers will ensure that real-use conditions are taken into consideration as early as possible during the ongoing development of Roxo’s capabilities. Future local assessment would operate similar to the testing currently underway in the United States, with selected customers providing insight and advice on their needs and requirements,” said James R Muhs, regional president for FedEx Express in the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa.

“This is a great opportunity to see Roxo operate in a live international travel environment. There are several potential applications we see for commercial and non-commercial uses between airport teams, and between businesses and travelers. We are excited to be involved in the evaluation with FedEx Express and with our airport partners,” said Eugene Barry, executive vice president – commercial, Dubai Airports.

In August, FedEx, in association with Manchester-based DEKA Research & Development Corporation, officially launched Roxo in Manchester.

Roxo, which means 'purple' in Portuguese, is a nod to FedEx's purple branding.