A guide dog from Northamptonshire has made friends with a DPD delivery robot that spooked her when out walking with her owner, thanks to a little help from the local DPD depot team.

Delivery robot Levi and Amelia are now the best of friends

DPD is rolling out autonomous robot deliveries to UK towns and cities to provide a sustainable, autonomous final-mile solution as an alternative to traditional delivery vans.

However, six-year-old Labrador Amelia got a shock when she saw local DPD bot ‘Levi’ while she was guiding owner David Holmes in Raunds.

Holmes explained: “We were just waiting to cross a road when Amelia started to behave oddly and barking. I could hear a noise behind me like a buggy, but it was only when I got home and my wife Eileen asked if I had seen the delivery robot, that I worked out what had happened. It was the first time Amelia had seen one and obviously didn’t know what to make of it.”

Holmes posted about the experience on Facebook and a staff member at the DPD depot saw it and offered to help. Depot general manager Gareth Chisholm then contacted David and invited Amelia down to the depot to help get the two better acquainted.

Chisholm commented: “I think it is fair to say, their first meeting wasn’t love at first sight.  Amelia is such a lovely, gentle dog, so after talking to David and understanding more about how they work together, we set up a getting-to-know-you session at the depot.

“After a number of familiarisation exercises, we were able to simulate the different situations in which Amelia might meet the robot. There were a good few treats involved, but before too long, they were walking side by side like the best of friends.”

David Holmes added: “I’m really grateful to Gareth and the team for their response. The original Facebook post was just something light-hearted to share. But it is great that they got in touch and invited us to the depot. She is an amazing dog, and she is trained to deal with so many different situations, but there is always something new.”

DPD first introduced the autonomous robots in Milton Keynes in July 2022 and a year later confirmed plans to expand robot deliveries to 10 UK towns and cities.

Based at DPD’s depot at Warth Park on the western edge of Raunds, the robots deliver to nearby residential areas within a mile of the depot, via the existing network of footpaths.

DPD parcel recipients in Raunds are notified of a robot delivery in advance, and once they confirm that they are at home to accept the parcel, the robot is dispatched. Customers can then track the robot’s progress on a map and are notified when it reaches their property.

Robot deliveries are a key part of DPD’s journey towards being net zero by 2040, supporting its aim of becoming the UK’s most sustainable delivery company.