Just Eat Takeaway.com has begun piloting autonomous doorstep delivery using ground robots developed by Swiss robotics company RIVR. The trial introduces a wheeled-legged hybrid robot designed for complex urban environments and marks what the company describes as the first European pilot of this type by an on-demand delivery service. The initial phase will see real customer orders fulfilled in Zurich, with further European locations under consideration later this year.
Often described as ‘robo dogs’ due to their four-legged design, the RIVR units combine wheels for efficient travel with legs that enable them to climb kerbs and stairs, allowing them to approach front doors and negotiate uneven surfaces. Operating at around 15km per hour, the robots are built to function in varied weather conditions including rain, snow, high heat and wind. A 40-litre cargo capacity with an internal divider is intended to keep multiple items stable and separate while in transit.
Handover is designed to mirror a typical courier delivery. A secure locking system protects the order from collection to drop-off: the restaurant or retail partner places the order inside the cargo bay, and the customer receives a notification and unlocks the bin on arrival. For visibility and compliance in mixed traffic, the robot carries lights and a flag, and it can stop instantly in an emergency, either automatically or via remote command. Deliveries are monitored in real time from a control centre for additional oversight.
The pilot launches with orders fulfilled from Zurich restaurant Zekis World. The company has specified that the robot is manufactured for long-distance urban routes and is intended to operate safely in high-footfall areas. The aim is to test how doorstep access and obstacle handling perform in live service, and how customers respond to an autonomous handover process during normal trading hours.
Just Eat Takeaway.com positions the initiative as part of a wider programme to test alternative last-mile options for food and convenience orders. The business notes that robotic delivery could support operational efficiency by matching vehicle type to route complexity and order size. In this context, the company says it is the first on-demand delivery service in Europe to pilot wheeled-legged hybrid robots equipped with Physical AI for doorstep service.
The company also points to earlier trials in aerial logistics as a parallel strand in its innovation roadmap. In Ireland, it previously announced a drone-delivery service operated by Manna. The new ground-based pilot is presented as complementary to that work, focusing on urban streets where doorstep access, kerb negotiation and stair-climbing are required.
From a safety perspective, the robot’s Physical AI is described as enabling it to interpret surroundings and plan paths dynamically, with remote supervision in place to intervene if needed. The design incorporates highly visible markers for day and night operation. According to the companies, the system is intended to function in mixed environments alongside pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles, with behaviour tuned for footways and crossings.
In the near term, Just Eat Takeaway.com plans to broaden the pilot to additional European cities after the Zurich phase, subject to local conditions and regulatory requirements. Potential use cases under review include retail and convenience deliveries, with the 40-litre payload suited to larger orders. The objective is to evaluate where robotic delivery can support reliability, speed and partner coverage across different geographies.
Zornitsa Chugreeva, Senior Global Innovation Director, Just Eat Takeaway.com: “At Just Eat Takeaway.com, our vision is to empower everyday convenience, and we believe automation is an important driver in bringing that vision to life. It drives our commitment to exploring, testing and integrating innovations and technologies, all aimed at enhancing our service and driving an even better experience for our ecosystem.”
Marko Bjelonic, Chief Executive Officer, RIVR said: “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. 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-centered.”
