Scout, Amazon's new autonomous delivery system, rolls out in Snohomish County

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. -- A new Amazon autonomous delivery system that's roughly the size of a small cooler will be rolling down sidewalks in Snohomish County starting Wednesday (Jan. 23).

Scout, created by Amazon, is fully electric and rolls along sidewalks at a walking pace.

Scouts will be delivering Amazon packages to a Snohomish County neighborhood starting today.

How will delivery by Amazon Scout work?

"Customers in Snohomish County order just as they normally would and their Amazon packages will be delivered either by one of our trusted partner carriers or by Amazon Scout," Amazon Scout Vice President Sean Scott said in a blog post announcing the new technology.

The Seattle-based online retail giant said it is starting with six Amazon Scout devices that will deliver packages during daylight hours Monday-Friday.

Initially, the devices will be accompanied by an Amazon employee.

Amazon Scout was designed at the company's research and development lab in Seattle, "ensuring the devices can safely and efficiently navigate around pets, pedestrians and anything else in their path."

“We are delighted to welcome Amazon Scout into our community," Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said in a release. "Similar to Amazon, we are always looking for new ways to better deliver service to our residents. From the latest Amazon innovation to cutting edge technology, Snohomish County is a great place for entrepreneurial creativity.”

It's unclear what areas are next for Amazon Scout.