Delivery service Evri has confirmed it will trial an autonomous robot delivery dog later this year that will work with human staff to cut delivery times.
The four-legged robot dog will be able to hop in and out of the courier’s van as it makes its way to and from homes delivering parcels, taking out some of the leg work for the courier.
The device was developed by Swiss firm RIVR, and the focus of the trial is to gain insight into how the robot dogs can work with couriers to improve efficiency support with some of the more strenuous parts of the job. They can be deployed 24 hours a day, allowing for night-time deliveries or on-demand services with designated time slots for consumers.
The robots are equipped with AI-powered navigation and obstacle detection that allow them to determine the most efficient routes while being able to tackle stairs and extreme weather conditions.
In October, Evri was named Britain’s worst-performing parcel delivery company for the second year running. Nearly...