Swiss robotics company RIVR is partnering with delivery platform Veho to test a fleet of robots that can deliver packages right to your door in Austin, Texas.
Why It Rolls: While several startups are racing to make a humanoid robot, some of the biggest innovations in robotics are happening with single-task-focused autonomous machines. You soon won’t be able to turn your head without seeing a robot being beta-tested on a specific function in the wild.
Between the Drop-Offs: Forget last-mile delivery… true shipping innovation is happening in the last 100 feet.
RIVR is testing one robot to start, which will work alongside a human driver, so they can deliver more parcels simultaneously.
The robot will drop off an order according to the customer’s instructions and send a photo of the delivery via the Veho app.
They’ll also collect data on how to navigate uneven sidewalks, stairs, porches, and other urban and rural terrain.
RIVR and Veho aim to have 100 of these delivery bots out in the wild by 2026.
Last Mile: Building a robot that can traverse the unpredictable terrain of residential delivery could supercharge delivery times and save humans the headache of finding their front door — something nearly every delivery driver complains about when needing to hit airtight quotas. Since Veho handles orders from retailers like Lululemon and Macy’s, keeping those customers happy could be a bellwether for whether human drivers get more help from robots.
Prediction: As delivery robots become more practical, expect Amazon to follow suit with its own rollout — especially if early results show they help drivers move faster and keep customers happy.
The post Startups Program Robots To Bring Packages To Your Door appeared first on TheFutureParty.