The logistics company Nova Poshta already has over 800 robotic systems in operation, and that number is expected to double by the end of the year. Most of these technologies do not resemble anthropomorphic humanoids, but are specialized hardware and software complexes for automating routine processes.
The logistics company Nova Poshta already has over 800 robotic systems in operation, and that number is expected to double by the end of the year. Most of these technologies do not resemble anthropomorphic humanoids, but are specialized hardware and software complexes for automating routine processes.
This was stated by the first and so far only Chief Robotics Officer (CRO) in Ukraine, Yevhen Khomenko, in an interview with LIGA.net.
According to him, the transition from the position of head of the R&D department of Nova Tech to the role of CRO was due to the need not only to test hypotheses, but also to systematically implement technologies into the company’s operational activities and scale them. Currently, Khomenko’s team consists of almost 10 specialists who coordinate the development of solutions based on artificial intelligence, machine vision, sensor systems and operational analytics. Nova Poshta mainly outsources the technical integration and production itself to Ukrainian and American partners, including domestic companies Deus Robotics, SBR Robotics, Kapelou and Profi Robotiks.
«My favorite type is sorting robots. We already have the fifth or sixth iteration of this technology. For example, „locomotives“ are robots for small parcels up to 2 kg. They drive in a circle and automatically scan each parcel, and then the system understands in which direction to sort it. When the robot passes near the desired direction, a tray opens and the parcel is placed there,» said Yevhen Khomenko.
Despite the rapid development of the direction, robots still have technical limitations compared to humans. In particular, it is difficult for automated systems to work with parcels of irregular shape or with damaged packaging. In addition, navigating in space with obstacles remains a stressful factor for machines. «If there is a box in the way, a person will easily bypass it, but for a robot it is stressful,» explains the CRO of Novaya Poshta.
Yevgeny Khomenko also noted that the classic three laws of robotics by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov are already outdated for the realities of 2026. According to him, human safety remains an absolute priority, but new legal and ethical issues are coming to the fore, such as determining responsibility for errors and failures in the operation of autonomous systems.
Previously, Nova Poshta tested unmanned delivery using drones and developed its own concepts for fully automated branches .
