Robot couriers will deliver the future to Tallinn’s medieval Old Town

The Estonian city is preparing for its upcoming European Green Capital year in style

Tallinn will be the European Green Capital in 2023 and its ambition is to develop carbon-neutral mobility in urban spaces. Part of this solution will come in the form of robot couriers, which will roll on the streets of the Old Town quarter delivering parcels.

The pilot project will be implemented as a partnership between the City Hall, DHL Express Estonia and Cleveron Mobility AS. The latter develops multi-functional unmanned vehicles, called CLEVON 1, which help to make home delivery of goods more environmentally friendly, customer-friendly, faster and more affordable.

Protecting heritage by decreasing pollution

The CLEVON 1 robot courier has small dimensions (width 1.15 m, height 1.55 m and length 2.5 m) and is light (500 kg). To ensure the safety of other road users, including pedestrians, the machine is equipped with six cameras that give the vehicle a 360-degree field of view. 

The robot vehicles will come in quite handy in the UNESCO-protected medieval quarter of the Estonian capital and more specifically in its pedestrian area. Since they are remote-controlled, the robot couriers can be employed in urban spaces restricted to heavier traffic. Plus, they can be used to make deliveries outside of normal working hours as well.

Cleveron Mobility has undertaken to comply with the requirements of the traffic law and to use no more than one robot courier for simultaneous traffic, as part of the agreement with the city.

Deputy Mayor Tanel Kiik offered the following justification for the use of the robots: "Tallinn's old town belongs to the UNESCO cultural heritage list and is simultaneously a place where people live, an active place for business and an attractive tourist attraction. Therefore, it is reasonable to use innovative mobility solutions to serve local institutions, companies and residents. 

The robot courier is a fully electric, noise- and emission-free means of transportation, which is why it is a safer and more environmentally friendly way to deliver goods in the narrow streets of the old town compared to ordinary motor vehicles". 

The agreement stipulates that the pilot project will take place for two months, after which the benefit of the robot couriers will be evaluated.