The accelerating e-commerce pattern is putting extra stress on supply and logistics firms to compete with the likes of Amazon.

That is a part of why FedEx is teaming with autonomous know-how firm Nuro Inc. to check autonomous automobile supply.

Autonomous bots may reply a number of the ongoing velocity, effectivity and labor challenges related to parcel logistics.

FedEx and Nuro mentioned Tuesday they may take a look at “autonomous, multi-stop and appointment-based supply” in Houston.

The “multi-year, multi-phase settlement” expands upon the businesses’ present pilot program launched in April within the metropolis, marking Nuro’s first foray into the logistics realm. Underneath the most recent settlement, FedEx will work with Nuro to check its next-generation autonomous supply automobile know-how.

Nuro, based by two former Google engineers in 2016, has been testing a wide range of self-driving supply tasks with grocery, eating places and pharmacies.

In April, Nuro partnered with Domino’s Pizza Inc. for robotic pizza supply in Houston. Nuro additionally piloted an autonomous supply service with Kroger and examined prescription supply with CVS Pharmacy there.

“Working with FedEx — the worldwide chief in logistics — is an unbelievable alternative to rethink each facet of native supply,” Cosimo Leipold, Nuro’s head of partnerships, mentioned in an announcement. “This multi-year dedication will permit us to actually collaborate and produce Nuro’s highly effective know-how to extra individuals in new methods, and ultimately attain large-scale deployment.”

In the meantime, FedEx has been growing its personal supply options through Roxo, its SameDay Bot.

Different firms have been exploring possibilities with self-driving delivery. Russian tech firm Yandex, for instance, has been testing its autonomous delivery bots in Ann Arbor, Mich. Self-driving truck firm Gatik and commerce giant Walmart are additionally engaged on autonomous deliveries to a Walmart pickup level for purchasers.