Meanwhile Just Eat UK has begun a trial with RIVR robots that is just as thrilling. These four-legged delivery robots are currently making deliveries for nine independent restaurants in Milton Keynes and Bristol. This deployment is the biggest step yet in the quest for effective autonomous delivery systems. Unlike other last-mile delivery bots, the robots are uniquely built to co.
All four RIVR robots feature small retractable wheels on each foot. They will be tested in actual city environments to assess their public safety and operational capabilities. Eight independent restaurants in Bristol have volunteered to participate in the precocious trial. This now even covers local favourites such as Jolly Fryer, Chicken Mews and Bishopston Fish Bar. In Milton Keynes, food outlet 12th Street Burgers & Shakes is another participant in this innovative project.
The robots are powered by the meal delivery company’s traffic-orange branded boxes that sit on their back. Now, they’re prepared to have sensitive food orders flown directly to customers! The technology allows them to uniquely avoid obstacles like grassy banks and hedges with precision. Perhaps that’s why it allows them to ascend outdoor freestanding brick stairs with grace. Through this trial, we hope to test their performance in real world urban settings and assess their viability for widespread use.
Marko Bjelonic, chief executive of RIVR, recalled his company’s sad moment when found that their solution might not venture beyond SPTC’s borders. He stated that it represents an “important step in scaling autonomous delivery across European cities.” Bjelonic further noted, “The launch in Milton Keynes reflects a shared focus on practical, automated delivery that integrates seamlessly into existing operations.”
A similar pilot was run earlier this year in Switzerland, which saw nearly 1,000 autonomous deliveries successfully completed. We thought this experience had some key lessons that could help make the current UK trial even more effective. Ireland’s current trial of delivery drones. This announcement marks a growing move toward automation in the food delivery industry.
As with all things in the food delivery landscape, this is a rapidly changing space. RIVR and Just Eat UK are committed to continuing to test new technologies through this partnership. This trial is poised to do just that. The latter would cause a European-wide mass deployment of autonomous and robotic delivery systems on European cities.