• Tortoise, a developer of remote-controlled robotic delivery carts, has partnered with retail giant Walmart to pilot droid-based food deliveries for Walmart’s customers near the latter’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. The tests began in late July.

• Customers can purchase items such as beef jerky and Kinder chocolate eggs, which will be delivered by the robot upon order.

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: Today’s partnership strengthens Walmart’s presence in the last-mile delivery automation space. It has previously entered into partnerships with autonomous delivery vehicle (ADV) companies Nuro, Udelv ; incumbents Ford and General Motors’ Cruise; and drone-based delivery services providers Zipline, Flytrex, and DroneUp. </ul>