A company which specialises in delivery robots plans to expand its operations from two campuses to twenty by 2019 with a fleet of a thousand.
Starship Technologies is partnering with the Co-op in Milton Keynes to deliver groceries there.
It follows trials with Just Eat to deliver takeaways in South London.
One expert told the BBC he thinks it will be a long time before they become a regular sight on normal streets.
The machines have a top speed of 10mph (16.1 km/h) and in busy areas are accompanied by a human minder.
The firm claims none has been stolen or vandalised ... Read even more