Secure your idea for 12 months and convert to international patent under PCT within 12 months
Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) provides filing mechanism for global protection of innovative products and services.
Patents for innovations based on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence add immense value to a patent portfolio. Innovators focus on novel and inventive aspects of AI and robotic inventions to comply with the patent eligibility requirements as per patent laws. A thorough review of published patents reveals that thousands of patents are filed across different patent classifications that cover the scope of AI and robotics patents. Within this category, robotic delivery innovations are an exciting area of interest as evident from the patents filed in this specific category. One of the innovative companies operating in robotic delivery sector is Starship Technologies.
The profile of an innovative company like Starship is based on the foundation that their robots will transform the concept of food and package deliveries by offering people suitable new services further improving everyday life. Their established capability to bind technology pooled with their experience providing services to lots of people makes this a reality.
This Company was founded in July 2014 by Skype co-founders, Ahti Heinla and Janus. Starship Technologies today functions in several cities across the world. Starship Technologies created its first robot prototype in August 2014 and launched out of stealth in November 2015. By August 2016, one million people encountered the first robot prototype.
Further, Starship announced $17.2 million in funding in January 2017. From 5000 km of driving in June 2016, it covered 50,000km of driving by May 2017. By August 2017, 100 cities were duly tested, and by September 2017, the technology reached to 12 million people. Services were then launched in Milton Keynes by April 2018. Starship Technologies then announced 25 million dollars funding and an appointment of a new CEO, Lex Bayer in June 2018. Following this, the services were further launched at George Mason University Campus in January 2019. By April 2019, they accomplished 50,000 deliveries.
Starship further announced 40 million dollar funding by August 2019 and also accomplished 100,000 deliveries. About It is a new kind of business with an arrangement of mobile technology, independent robots, and association with stores and restaurants. This further helps in making deliveries faster, smoother and more cost-efficient.
The Self-Driving Delivery Robot, or Starship robots are self-driven robots that are advanced devices capable of carrying items within a 6km radius. This new delivery platform sets a standard of instant delivery which work around the schedule of the customer at a much lower cost. All kinds of items like parcels, groceries, and food are directly delivered from the associated stores at the same time the customer requests the order via the mobile app. After placing the order, the customer can easily monitor the entire journey and the location on their smartphones.
Starship’s robots drive at an ordinary speed and do not weigh more than 100 pounds. This ensures that they are naturally safe and can easily navigate around the objects and people. To ensure that the items are secure, the cargo bay is mechanically locked throughout the journey and only the customer can have the access to the cargo bay with their smartphone app at the time of receiving the items. The location of the robot can be easily tracked by the customer and they will receive the notification for the same at the time of the arrival of the robot.
The entire delivery platform is energy and cost-efficient and therefore can be used for a large variety of tasks. As compared to other traditional delivery services, items such as groceries, packages, and food can be easily delivered for a part of the cost. Starship’s delivery system is highly efficient and as an electronically powered robot, the entire system is extremely clean and green. Therefore, it’s worthy of the planet as well as for the customer’s business smooth functioning.
A high quality patent portfolio contains a strategic blend of provisional and non-provisional patents, which are a result of thorough review of technical concepts provided by the inventors. The invention disclosure provided by the inventors include crucial set of words and phrases that patent attorneys use to draft patent claim elements while writing the patent application.
The AI and robotics patent portfolio includes several patents filed by Starship, such as, for example, but not limited to, US 10239378 that relates to a robot and the corresponding method for traversing vertical obstacles. This patent disclosing a robot with a robot body on a frame structure, an enclosed space to hold the delivery item and a sensing device to detect objects along the path of said robot. In this disclosure, the robot has six wheels, where two wheels on the sides of the frame are connected and the axis of rotation of each wheel is fixed concerning the robot during forwarding, rearward, and turning.
Another patent discloses innovative aspects of delivering multiple packets to various recipients in a single patent. The details can be seen by reading US 9741010 that discloses a delivery system for delivering packages to multiple recipients through a mobile robot with a delivery package space suitable for accommodating two packages, one package sensor designed to outsource data reflecting the presence or absence of packages within with package space, a processing component designed to process the package sensor’s data and communication designed to send and receive second data. As stated therein, the mobile robot travels to a delivery location, permits a recipient to access the package space, and identifies the recipient’s package to the recipient. In use, this system uses data from the package sensor to verify that the recipient removed only their package if other packages are present. Subsequently, the mobile robot then travels to the next delivery location associated with a recipient.
Innovators developing AI and robotic solutions focus on filing multiple patents covering all the unique aspects. As intangible assets, patents are part of the intellectual property rights that are used to protect inventions. After filing of patents, the patent office examines the contents of the patent application based on various parameters, such as novelty and inventive step. Once patent registration certificate is issued by the patent office, patents can be sold or licensed to generate revenues for the patent owners.
