Delivery bots learn to tackle those last 100 steps

Swiss robotics company Rivr is partnering with Veho, a gig-based delivery company, to test its wheel-legged robot in Austin, Texas.

Why it matters: By starting with last-mile package delivery, Rivr says it's "laying the groundwork for a powerful data flywheel" that will accelerate robotic intelligence for other use cases.

Between the lines: General robots face a tougher challenge than self-driving cars, Marko Bjelonic, Rivr's co-founder and CEO, tells Axios.

• Human-driven vehicles at least have cameras that collect data that can be used to train virtual drivers, he said.
• "In the robotics world, it's a chicken and egg problem. We don't have data readily available and we don't have robots out doing meaningful work in the real world to collect data," he told Axios.

Zoom in: In Austin, Rivr's robot will begin gathering critical data by learning how to navigate stairs, porches, and uneven terrain, not just sidewalks.

• Working alongside a human driver, the robot will handle real Veho e-commerce deliveries from retailers such as Macy's and Lululemon.
• While the driver completes one drop-off, the robot will deliver another, navigating from the delivery vehicle all the way to the customer's doorstep, placing parcels according to the customer's instructions, and using the Veho app to send a photo of each successful delivery.
• The robots won't replace human delivery drivers. Rather, they are intended to enable humans to deliver more parcels, faster, with less physical strain.

Where it stands: The pilot involves just one robot for now, but as more data is collected and the robot gets smarter, Rivr and Veho expect to have a fleet of 100 doing deliveries by next year.

• "I can't just go in today and deploy a million robots and hope it works," says Bjelonic. "There's a natural scaling effect."

The bottom line: Bringing a package to someone's doorstep seems simple for a human. But navigating gravel driveways, climbing steps or opening gates is a monumental challenge for a robot.

• But starting small is how they learn.