Artificial intelligence robot delivers food

(CONNECT) Just Eat and robotics company RIVR Technologies AG are using AI robots for the first time to deliver food orders to customers, as detailed in a press release. Just Eat is a food ordering platform based in Amsterdam, which is represented in Switzerland by Zurich-based eat.ch GmbH. As part of a two-month test phase, the robot developed by RIVR, a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH), will deliver orders from the Zekis World restaurant to Just Eat customers. The RIVR floor robot, which moves on wheels and legs to enable it to move more efficiently on different surfaces, uses AI to recognise its surroundings and avoid oncoming obstacles. The maximum speed is 15 kilometers per hour.

"Working with Just Eat Takeaway.com gives a glimpse into a future where automation fits naturally into our cities and helps people get what they need, when they need it. Physical AI enables our robots to understand and adapt to the real world," Marko Bjelonic, founder and CEO of RIVR, is quoted in the press release. 

The robot can be stopped automatically or remotely in emergencies and is equipped with lights and a flag for day and night visibility. During the first 30 days of the project, a RIVR security expert will accompany the deliveries, after which the delivery process will run remotely.

As the first on-demand delivery company to test ground robotics for food deliveries in Europe, Just Eat plans to introduce further robot deliveries in other European cities over the course of the year. A possible expansion into the retail and convenience sectors is also planned. ce/yes