Amazon acquires robotics start-up Rivr: Robotic dogs to replace delivery workers soon

Front door delivery has always been a human affair, until now. Amazon recently confirmed the acquisition of Rivr, a Zurich-based startup that develops autonomous robots for real-world doorstep delivery. The machines can navigate stairs, curbs and narrow entrances. The current model, Rivr Two, has a 55-liter cargo capacity. The robot drives up, lowers itself and unloads the package downwards. No loading hatch opens.

Amazon has already informed its subcontractors about its plans: The machines are intended to relieve drivers of the burden of last-mile delivery and are already undergoing tests in real-world environments. Furthermore, Amazon is relentlessly pushing forward with automation in its logistics systems. The purchase of Kiva Systems in 2012 for $775 million was the starting point. Today, over 1 million robots scurry through warehouses worldwide. The acquisition of Rivr is merely another step towards complete automation.

Jeff Bezos, meanwhile, is thinking on an entirely different scale. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Amazon founder is currently raising capital for a new fund, with a target of a staggering $100 billion. Called Project Prometheus, of which Bezos is also a co-CEO, the fund intends to acquire manufacturing companies in such as chipmaking, defense and aerospace, and then use AI to speed up automation.