RIVR
Residents of Regensdorf, Switzerland, may soon receive their parcels from robots. The municipality has become the testing ground for a new pilot project launched by Swiss Post, online grocer Migros Online, and robotics company RIVR.
Readers may recall the ANYmal robot, a project developed at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. The quadruped robot uses four legs equipped with wheels instead of standard foot pads.
Robots switch between walking and rolling for versatile mobility
When the wheels are locked, they function like rubber-soled feet, enabling the robot to climb stairs, step over obstacles, and traverse uneven ground. When unlocked, the wheels spin freely, letting the robot move quickly and efficiently over smooth, flat surfaces like pavement—much faster and with less energy than walking.
RIVR ONE is the commercialized version of ANYmal, created by ETH spinoff RIVR (previously Swiss-Mile). Equipped with sensors such as LiDAR, optical cameras, and GPS, it can navigate city streets autonomously, avoid obstacles, and transport cargo securely in its onboard locked box.
RIVR
In the latest Regensdorf trial, RIVR ONE robots will ride along in Swiss Post delivery vans before transporting select Swiss Post parcels and Migros Online grocery orders from the vans directly to customers’ doorsteps.The robots deliver autonomously, while human supervisors stand by to intervene if needed.
Swiss Post tests robots to ease workloads, maintain quality
“This project allows us to explore how autonomous delivery systems can support both our staff and operations,” explains Pascal Stalder, Project Lead at Swiss Post. “We’re particularly focused on reducing walking distances and heavy lifting, all while maintaining the level of service our customers rely on.”
This isn’t RIVR ONE’s first real-world deployment. Earlier this year, the robots delivered restaurant meals in Zurich (see video below) and also handled parcel deliveries in Austin, Texas.
Read the original article on: New Atlas