Charlotte's robot takeover: Fad or future?
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios
Charlotte's robot fleet is rolling over, with new driverless cars filling Uptown lots and drones flying above more and more neighborhoods.
Why it matters: These aren't the first robots and surely won't be the last. Some have proven to be efficient supplements for humans. Others have been fads.
Let's take a look at our robots over the years, what's working and what's not.
Driverless taxis: Cruise is out. Waymo is in
Your next Uber could be driverless. Waymo, a partner of the ride-share service, is preparing to launch its automated ride-hailing in Charlotte, we reported this past week.
Flashback: Before there was Waymo, Cruise was testing its self-driving cars in Charlotte last year. But General Motors shut down the project, citing intense competition and steep costs.
- Plus, Cruise was swept up in controversy after a robotaxi in San Francisco struck and dragged a pedestrian in 2023.
Yes, but: Our team keeps hearing rave reviews about Waymo. People who have hailed its driverless cabs in other markets like Atlanta, including our editor Mike Szvetitz, report that the ride is smooth and efficient — and also, futuristic and cool.
- However, the cars may be in for a rude awakening with our drivers. Waymo already got in its first minor accident here, WSOC's Joe Bruno reports. A company spokesperson said it was the other driver's fault.
What's next: For now, if you see a Waymo on the road, there's likely a real human behind the wheel as the cars familiarize themselves with our area.
Food delivery: Flying may be better than rolling
DoorDash is finding success delivering food with Wing drones in the area. It launched with a 4-mile radius in south Charlotte last year and has since expanded with a second operation in Huntersville.
- A spokesperson says drone delivery should be more widely available in the coming months.
Flashback: Before drones, there was Geoffrey. Remember him? The boxy, heart-eyed pink robots that delivered coffee in Plaza Midwood?
- Toronto-based company Tiny Mile was operating the remote-controlled robot as a pilot here around 2022. But the trial ended without an explanation, and Geoffrey left us without even a goodbye.
Security: Robot guards prove efficient
In Plaza Midwood, an autonomous security robot named "Rowe'ver" (after The Rowe Apartments) is acting as an extra pair of eyes for humans at the Commonwealth development. It's also a crime deterrent, Stream Realty's Amy Albright tells Axios.
- Rowe'ver was built and is monitored by Knightscope, a company founded in response to Sandy Hook and the Boston Marathon bombing.
- Rowe'ver's route was programmed, but over time, it has mapped and learned the environment.
- Management can remote in to watch videos or send Rowe'ver to her station, where it charges about an hour for every three hours it roams. Knightscope reports any suspicious activity, and the robots have an intercom button to contact security.
- Outside of her routine duties, Rowe'ver also poses for photos. "People LOVE taking selfies with her," Albright says.
Flashback: Charlotte's pioneer security robot "Parker" is still on duty at the Ally Bank building in Uptown. At 5-foot-3 and 398 pounds, Parker has looked out for car break-ins, vandalism and other incidents since 2022.
- It's clocked almost 12,000 hours and has traveled more than 6,400 miles.
- Ally has also deployed safety robots at its Jacksonville and Lewisville facilities, a company spokesperson tells Axios. It has indoor robots, too, that check on fire extinguishers, AED devices and emergency lighting.