Robot Delivery Startup Plynth Focuses on Easy Part, Ignores Hard Part
Robots in buildings sound cool, but they can't use elevators yet—so what's the point?
Deep Dive
The hard part—integrating with actual elevators—isn’t done yet. That integration is time-consuming and costly, and there are no guarantees up front that it will succeed for each new building where you want to add robots.
Savioke (Relay) learned this the hard way. Right now the work is on the easy part; people will be much more interested once there’s some success with the hard part.
Key Points
- Plynth is working on connecting robots to buildings, but the hardest part—elevator integration—isn't done yet.
- Elevator integration is costly, time-consuming, and uncertain, as learned by Savioke, a delivery robot company.
- Without elevator access, robots are limited to one floor, making them less useful in multi-story buildings.
Why It Matters
Robot helpers in buildings won't be practical until they can use elevators, so don't expect them soon.