Austin, Texas is no stranger to delivery bots – but the latest to go into service there promise something very different.
The deployment is the result of a collaboration between Veho, the New York-based parcel delivery platform, and Switzerland’s AI and robotics start-up RIVR.
What marks this pilot out is the fact that the bots will work in tandem with human delivery drivers, rather than replace them – and also the bots’ flexible functionality, which allows them to bound up stairs and navigate porches, meaning they are not restricted to sidewalks.
By accompanying the human driver on their delivery round, the theory is that they will enable more parcels to be delivered more quickly, with less physical strain – which could be particularly useful in densely populated areas where there is a glut of deliveries, but limited parking.
The robots – which combine a wheeled-legged design with physical AI – deliver one parcel while the human driver is dropping off another, navigating directly from the delivery vehicle to the customer’s doorstep. The parcel is placed, as per the instructions provided by the customer, and the delivery is logged with a photo, which can be sent via the Veho app.
During the pilot program in Austin, the bots will be accompanied by RIVR staff to ensure safety and delivery quality.
RIVR, which counts Amazon’s Jeff Bezos among its backers, believes the trial could be the start of something big.
“With the exponential rise in e-commerce, the last mile has become the most critical – and complex – link in the logistics chain,” CEO Marko Bjelonic said in the announcement. “At RIVR, our mission is to put 1 million delivery robots into the field, leveraging General Physical AI to scale urban robotics to where it’s needed most.
“Our partnership with Veho is a major milestone on that journey to bring our technology to the US. As a leading parcel delivery platform in the U.S., Veho offers the ideal environment for deploying at scale, helping us deliver not just faster and more cost-effective service, but a smarter, more human-centered model for robotics in logistics.”
Veho, which was founded nine years ago, now delivers millions of packages every month across 50 U.S. metropolitan areas, but believes the partnership with RIVR could revolutionize the delivery industry.
“This partnership is an exciting next step in reinventing e-commerce delivery… [it] will help us learn if a robot working with a human can help reduce delivery costs while improving on-time-delivery and speed,” said Itamar Zur, Veho’s CEO.
The Austin pilot will be monitored closely for performance, with the pair optimistic that they have developed a unique solution for urban areas.