Imagine getting a notification on your phone that a delivery has just arrived at your front door. You come outside and pick up a package, not from a human carrier—but from a fully autonomous six-wheeled robot.

Meet the Amazon Scout.

This is Amazon’s latest technological innovation, designed to improve the “last mile” segment of package delivery.

The Scout’s delivery method is more time efficient than a human carrier, because its done by a mathematical algorithm. Plus, multiple robots can cover more ground in a shorter period of time than one person.

Right now the Scout is limited to smooth surfaced sidewalks, but eventually the goal is that it will navigate stairs, complex obstacles, and various rough terrain.

Amazon claims that these devices were “created by Amazon” but it should be noted that the original design of this robot was created by Starship Technologies. Also, this same device was previously tested by companies such as Dominos Pizza, DoorDash and Pepsi.

Hitting the streets

Amazon has already begun testing it with just six Amazon Scout devices, delivering packages during daylight hours in the neighborhoods of Snohomish County, WA.

Trying to deliver perishable food (that needs to stay warm/fresh) may not turn out as well as delivering packages, especially if this robot moves at the speed of a human walking. But the cost savings alone is a huge benefit of using this device for a job that hasn’t changed much in centuries. It’s a remarkable technological improvement over relying upon human labor.

However, reactions from consumers indicate that many people are skeptical that such a device could survive out in public.

@saracsalinas How will Amazon Scout survive in bad neighborhoods and neighborhoods bordering bad ones. We live in a world where people feel it’s OK to steal packages.

Sara Salinas via Twitter

Google has made no official comments regarding this, but these devices come equipped with multiple cameras all around, so they can “see” what you do to them, they have an internal GPS tracker, and the “hood” will remain locked unless someone with the (Amazon) app approaches to unlock it.

So unless someone forgets to properly close the hood so that it locks, the chances of theft are VERY unlikely. In fact, someone already tried.

Huge cost savings

Any company that can successfully achieve automation by this means could potentially save themselves billions of dollars each year.

A standard delivery driver might earn a salary of around $40k to $50k/year. But these robots cost just a one-time price of $5,000 and of course, as the technology improves that price is getting cheaper.

In Washington D.C these robots are not just surviving, they are thriving. As the D.C. Council just recently passed legislation to permit the large-scale deployment of delivery robots across the city. So you might see them popping up soon in a neighborhood near you.