FedEx to Test Robot for Same-Day Delivery

FedEx Corp. will soon start testing robots that could make same-day deliveries of medicine, pizzas and other items to consumers’ homes, pushing the parcel-delivery giant into a new market competing against startups like Postmates Inc. that use humans for rapid deliveries.

FedEx executives declined to say how soon their delivery robots may become commonplace on streets and sidewalks. But they said their approach, using a cargo compartment atop the modified base of a motorized wheelchair developed by the founder of the Segway upright scooter, is the best way for FedEx to enter a crowded field.