Meet RIVR: The Four-Legged Robots Conquering Stairs for Food Delivery!

Delivery robots that are able to climb stairs are now being tested in real city environments in the United Kingdom. These robots have four legs, and each foot has a small wheel, which helps them move over different types of ground, including stairs and uneven surfaces. The company Just Eat UK is working with nine independent restaurants in Milton Keynes and Bristol to try out these new robots. The robots are called RIVR robots, and they use artificial intelligence, or AI, to help them get around obstacles that are common in cities, like steps, curbs, and rough paths.

This trial in the UK follows a similar project in Switzerland, where almost 1,000 deliveries were made by autonomous robots. In Ireland, delivery drones are also being tested, showing that many companies are interested in using new technology to deliver food and other items. Milton Keynes is already known for having another robot delivery service, and now the RIVR robots are joining in to help even more restaurants deliver food to their customers. One of the restaurants in Milton Keynes taking part in the trial is 12th Street Burgers & Shakes. In Bristol, eight restaurants are involved, including Jolly Fryer, Chicken Mews, and Bishopston Fish Bar.

Marko Bjelonic, the chief executive of RIVR, said that this partnership with Just Eat UK is an important step in making autonomous delivery more common in European cities. He explained that the launch in Milton Keynes shows that automated delivery can work well with how restaurants already operate. The goal is to make food delivery faster, easier, and more efficient for both restaurants and customers. People in Milton Keynes and Bristol can now see these robots in action, moving around the city and delivering food. If the tests are successful, it is possible that more cities will start using these robots in the future, which could change the way people get their food delivered. The use of AI and robots in delivery services is growing, and these trials are helping companies learn how to make the technology even better.