Yandex, a Russian self-driving company, has paused its U.S. operations as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues.
The company has been testing autonomous robotaxis in Ann Arbor, Michigan but has paused testing. It has also stopped making restaurant deliveries with its six-wheeled ‘Rover’ bots that operate on sidewalks of various college campuses across the United States.
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Yandex has revealed that its delivery bots will be transferred outside the United States in locations where it is already operating or plans to start operating. The Rover bots were first launched in the Moscow suburb of Skolkovo in April 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic before the service was expanded to the Russian city of Innopolis. The bots then touched down in the U.S. where Yandex worked with a number of delivery services, including Grubhub at the Ohio State University and University of Arizona.
These delivery bots are fitted with various cameras and LiDAR sensors and can be remotely controlled through a teleoperations center in Moscow, Auto News reports.
“Our AV test fleet in Ann Arbor is grounded at the moment, but we hope to resume operations in the future,” a Yandex spokesperson said.
Grubhub confirmed that it will end its partnership with Yandex and begin working with campus partners on “alternate service options.”
It remains to be seen if Yandex’s fleet of robotaxis located in Ann Arbor will remain in the country or if they will follow the lead of the Rover bots and leave the United States entirely.
