Amazon Plans to Test Four-Legged Robots on Wheels for Deliveries (cnbc.com) 20
CNBC reports:
Amazon has acquired Rivr, a Swiss robotics company developing machines for "doorstep delivery," the company confirmed Thursday... It announced the deal in a notice sent to third-party delivery contractors... "We believe this technology, when working alongside your [delivery associates], has the potential to further improve safety outcomes and the overall customer experience, particularly in the last steps of the delivery process...." In its notice to delivery service partner owners, Amazon said Rivr's technology, which includes a four-legged robot on wheels, will allow it to research and test how the devices can be integrated into delivery operations, including "helping [delivery associates] carry packages from delivery vehicles to customer doorsteps."
a four-legged robot on wheels (Score:2)
Say what?
Anyone got a picture?
Re: a four-legged robot on wheels (Score:5, Interesting)
https://www.rivr.ai/ [www.rivr.ai] features it on homepage
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Say no more. (Score:3)
a four-legged robot on wheels
Anyone got a picture?
Right here: https://tii.imgix.net/producti... [imgix.net]
It's basically Boston Dynamics' "Spot" robot (a so-called "robot dog" platform) with wheels in place of "paws".
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It's basically Boston Dynamics' "Spot" robot (a so-called "robot dog" platform) with wheels in place of "paws".
And from the image showing the package just being dropped out the back, it's perpetuating the account I recall from many years ago about MIT shipping a recording accelerometer to CalTech via, IIRC, UPS, with it recording periods of weightlessness punctuated by accelerations of up to 30G.
Re: Say no more. (Score:2)
I'm pretty sure all the shopping sites essentially say you should package your products in such a way they can be dropped from waist height safely.
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third-party delivery aka the DSP takes on all the (Score:3)
third-party delivery aka the DSP takes on all the risks and costs of this?
But they have no real control??
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third-party delivery aka the DSP takes on all the risks and costs of this? But they have no real control??
I suspect (should the tests go well), that Amazon will offer the DSPs a lease option on the robots (just like Amazon offers DSPs the option to lease the Rivian vans that some choose to use). If the robots can save time (increase delivery rates, which means increase revenue for the DSP) some might choose to do so.
I cannot help but think of Daleks (Score:2, Funny)
"wheelers" from Oz (Score:4, Funny)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/... [wikimedia.org]
120 years ago..
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What is the point of this? (Score:2)
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The driver comes all the way to the house and can't walk a few extra steps to deliver the package? There is some safety issues that can be reduced like dogs chasing the drivers or perhaps heavy packages or slippery areas, etc... but other than that this seems useless.
I could imagine in some locations (I am thinking locations like closely located single family residences) having extra "hands" could result in additional deliveries per hour, which means higher revenue for the DSPs. Maybe some MDUs, too.
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Exactly. Very cute but... why did it require two people to drive it around and load? Hmm... kinda pointless.
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This one is able to bring the parcel up the stairs to the 8th floor.
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They can wear roller skates (Score:2)
Too complicated to be reliable? (Score:2)
With the amount of movable and controllable joins there (I counted 4 per leg so 16 total plus the bottom hatch?) this will be very high maintenance machine.