RIVR Technologies, a Swiss robotics technology company, was founded in 2023 and is dedicated to the research and development of wheel legged delivery robots. This robot is based on physical AI technology and can freely shuttle through the city, overcoming real-world challenges such as stairs, curbstones, and opening doors, and completing the last mile delivery of items.
RIVR is a spin off of ETH Zurich, founded by Marko Bjelonic, Lorenz Wellhausen, Giorgio Valsecchi, and Alexander Reske. Marko Bjelonic is the CEO of the company and holds a PhD in Robotics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. He has previously served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Robotic Systems Lab. Lorenz Wellhausen is the Chief Software Technology Officer of the company and holds a PhD in Robotics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. He has previously served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Robotic Systems Lab. Giorgio Valsecchi is the Chief Hardware Technology Officer of the company and holds a PhD in Robotics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. Alexander Reske is the Chief Operating Officer of the company and holds a Master’s degree in Robotics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. He has previously worked as a research engineer at the Robotic Systems Lab.
Swiss robotics company RIVR develops wheel legged delivery robot
In the last mile delivery process of logistics, the last 100 meters from the delivery truck to the customer’s doorstep is the most complex and physically demanding link, mostly relying on manual delivery. Wheeled robots or drones are unable to reliably handle common obstacles such as steps and stairs, resulting in packages being unable to be delivered directly to the doorstep. At the same time, unlike ChatGPT and other language models that can be trained on massive Internet data, robots in the physical world lack large-scale and meaningful real environment data for training, which is difficult to improve the level of intelligence.
Swiss robotics company RIVR develops wheel legged delivery robot
RIVR has developed a wheel legged delivery robot, which is equipped with physical AI technology that includes reinforcement learning and supervised learning. It can calmly cope with challenges in urban reality scenarios such as climbing stairs, traversing cluttered spaces, and opening access controls. It efficiently completes the last mile delivery task of items and safely delivers packages to the user’s doorstep.
RIVR’s general physics AI technology includes reinforcement learning and supervised learning techniques. Reinforcement learning technology mainly uses simulated data, and RIVR adopts a trial and error learning method to efficiently train quadruped robots using simulated data and parallel GPU simulation. The proprietary learning algorithms and highly realistic gamified training scenarios developed by the company can highly simulate reality, enabling robots to have mobility, operation, and autonomy in just a few days. Supervised learning relies on real-world data, while RIVR utilizes real-world data similar to autonomous driving technology to enhance robots’ ability to interpret complex scenes from camera images, achieving autonomous navigation and response. In addition, each wheel legged delivery robot deployed by RIVR will provide valuable data for the company’s general physics AI, and through continuous expansion of the dataset and data flywheel effect, the intelligence level of the robots can be continuously improved.
RIVR’s wheel legged delivery robot is manufactured using high reliability precision engineering technology, with strong safety mechanisms and adaptive mobility, capable of handling complex urban environments with ease. The wheels of the robot can ensure long-distance movement on flat ground, and the leg design allows the robot to easily overcome obstacles such as climbing stairs, crossing roadsides, and crossing uneven terrain. This unique kinematic design solves many problems in the “last mile” delivery in actual urban environments. Due to its wheel mobility, the robot’s battery life and speed are 5 times that of conventional legged robots, and its coverage area is 10 times that of conventional legged robots. Robots are equipped with cameras, LiDAR, and advanced sensor systems that can detect obstacles, identify environments, and ensure safe navigation; The central structure at the torso is equipped with powerful onboard computing and AI systems; Its robotic arm can enhance the flexibility of opening doors and retrieving and placing goods; The delivery box that can be installed on the back can safely store multiple packages, ensuring that the items arrive intact and undamaged. The robot has been reinforced to withstand various weather conditions, including rain, snow, wind, and high temperatures. At the same time, RIVR also has a powerful cloud infrastructure to support global operations, and a 24/7 remote support team can immediately intervene in any emergency situation and promptly troubleshoot.
In actual delivery, RIVR’s wheel legged delivery robots can directly pick up goods from stores and complete door-to-door delivery, or cooperate with human or autonomous delivery trucks to shuttle multiple orders in the city, improving the efficiency of last mile and last 100 meter delivery. The robot can travel about 30 kilometers per charge, can travel at a maximum speed of 15 kilometers per hour on city streets, and can carry up to 40 liters of cargo. 12 robots can cover an area of approximately 5 square kilometers, achieving a on-time delivery rate of about 90%. Its operating cost is approximately 0.40 euros per kilometer, and it is expected to recover the cost in about 18 months.
RIVR’s wheel legged delivery robot can be used for transporting a variety of goods, including packages, takeout, fresh produce, postal services, and more. Currently, RIVR has partnered with Just Eat, one of the world’s largest food delivery platforms, Evri, the UK’s largest specialized package delivery company, Veho, a US logistics company, as well as Swiss Post and Migros Online.
In January 2024, RIVR completed a $3.5 million financing round from Linear Capital, Agile Robots, and Sequoia Capital China; In August 2024, a seed round financing of $22 million led by Amazon was completed. In the future, RIVR will further expand its team size and expand its business coverage areas.
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