Vayu Robotics, founded by ex-Apple employees, unveiled the world's first on-road delivery robot, Vayu One, in San Francisco.

Vayu Robotics, co-founded by Anand Gopalan in 2022, focuses on affordable and scalable delivery robotics by avoiding LiDAR technology, aiming to reduce costs and effectively scale delivery systems.

The robot by Vayu uses passive sensors like cameras and proprietary AI software for guidance, responding to voice commands.

Vayu One, standing waist-high and six feet long, can carry up to 100 pounds and operate at a top speed of 20 miles per hour.

Vayu One, comparable in size to a cargo bike, can transport up to 45 kg, travel at speeds up to 30 km/h on bike lanes, and deliver goods to customers' homes.

Vayu Robotics secured $12.7 million in investments, including from Khosla Ventures, and inked a major deal with a large e-commerce player to deploy 2500 robots for rapid goods delivery.

Vayu Robotics plans a significant deployment with a major e-commerce partner to enable swift product delivery, withholding the partner's identity.

The CEO of Vayu Robotics revealed intentions to expand into quadrupedal and bipedal robots beyond delivery robots using their software technology.

Vayu Robotics utilizes transformer-based mobility foundation models and powerful passive sensors instead of LiDAR for navigation, especially in low-speed applications, allowing robots to navigate complex environments without pre-mapping.

Anand Gopalan criticizes traditional robotics for being costly and inflexible due to reliance on multiple sensors and specific software modules.

Vayu One serves as a mid-sized delivery solution between drones and large vehicles, offering a unique delivery approach.

Vayu's robots navigate streets and sidewalks, delivering packages to designated areas for customer pickup.