The world is grappling with COVID-19 ever since this year’s onset, making social-distancing the current norm. The situation isn’t going to improve any time soon, leaving us all digging for alternative ways to reduce human contact. Nobody knows what the future holds for all of us – perhaps the apt time to ponder over mindful product designs that shape the way we live in our society.

This concept design by artist Jakob Payk wants to solve the predicament of deliveries – sans any human contact – in a very safe manner. Jakob has levied the Mercedes Benz brand tag to create the EQ Delivery Pod which is a compact robotic four-wheeled pod for safely transporting parcels from one place to the other. This last-mile delivery robot is more or so like the Amazon Scout delivery robot – just that it is much futuristic in its looks. The designer envisions this delivery pod to operate in the urban dwellings – moving important things like groceries, supplies and critical medication to the masses.

EQ Delivery Pod is totally contact-free as it is app operated, and can only be opened by scanning the QR Code by the intended user. Moving swiftly on the sidewalks, the battery-operated self-driving robot is penned-down with a very balanced thoughtfulness. Truly, it gives a sneak-peak into the future of urban spaces, where social-distancing will be the accepted, new normal.

Designer: Jakob Payk