Just Eat Takeaway.com partners with RIVR to pilot stair-climbing Physical AI food delivery robots in Zürich

Amsterdam’s online food delivery marketplace giant joins forces with RIVR to take food delivery to the next level in Zurich. Do they have any extra plans to expand the project? 

Amsterdam-based Just Eat Takeaway.com, an online food delivery marketplace, announced that it has joined hands with robotics company RIVR to launch a real-world pilot of autonomous food delivery in Zürich.

“At Just Eat Takeaway.com, our vision is to empower everyday convenience, and we believe innovation is an important driver in bringing that vision to life,” says Zornitsa Chugreeva, Senior Global Innovation Director at Just Eat Takeaway.com.

“It drives our commitment to exploring, testing and integrating new services and technologies, all aimed at enhancing our proposition and driving an even better experience for our ecosystem,” adds Chugreeva.

This pilot is the first step in a broader European deployment scheduled for later this year. The partners also recognise the potential to expand the service to retail and convenience deliveries.

Designed to deliver in complex urban environments

According to RIVR, the robots are designed for deliveries in complex urban environments.

They combine wheels for efficient travel with legs for climbing stairs and curbs, allowing them to navigate streets, footpaths, and building entrances with ease.

Powered by Physical AI, they understand and adapt to their surroundings, avoiding obstacles like rubbish bins, grass, and pedestrians, while moving safely alongside traffic and cyclists.

Each robot has a 40-litre insulated compartment with an internal divider to prevent spills.

Top speed is about 15 km/h, and the platform is designed to keep operating in rain, snow, heat, or wind.

Every robot is tracked in real time by RIVR’s operations team.

“The handover process is similar to a courier delivery. The order is secured inside the robot by the restaurant, and customers are notified upon arrival. They can then unlock the robot’s cargo bin to receive their order. Every robot is monitored in real time from our operations centre,” says the company.

RIVR: Pioneering physical AI for doorstep delivery

Based out of Zurich, RIVR specialises in physical AI for doorstep delivery.

The company combine neural networks with innovative wheeled-legged robots to automate the most labour-intensive part of delivery, bringing packages and food directly to consumers’ doorsteps, while learning real-world challenges like climbing stairs, navigating cluttered spaces, and opening gates and doors.

With customers already requiring tens of thousands of robots, RIVR is on track to generate more daily data than YouTube within four years.

“Our collaboration with Just Eat Takeaway.com is a glimpse into a future where automation blends naturally into our cities, helping people get what they need, when they need it,” says Marko Bjelonic, CEO of RIVR. “Physical AI allows our robots to understand and adapt to the real world. It’s a step toward making autonomous delivery not only efficient, but intuitive, safe, and truly human-centred.”