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delivery

Veho and RIVR partner to improve e-commerce delivery through AI-powered robots

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Veho, the technology company that operates a parcel delivery platform in the US, and RIVR, a physical AI and robotics developer, have launched an initiative to improve e-commerce delivery experience and efficiency through the use of parcel delivery robots.

The deployment begins today in Austin, with plans to expand to additional markets later this year based upon learnings during the initial trial. The robots are not intended to replace human delivery drivers.

Rather, they are intended to enable humans to deliver more parcels, faster, with less physical strain, all while maintaining the delivery experience for which Veho is known. [Read more…] about Veho and RIVR partner to improve e-commerce delivery through AI-powered robots

Top 20 autonomous delivery robot companies in 2025

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Back in 2019, when we published a similar report, autonomous delivery robots were a futuristic curiosity – cute, slow-moving boxes trundling along sidewalks, mostly on college campuses or in pilot projects.

Fast-forward to 2025, and the ADR industry has grown up. While some early movers have vanished, others have scaled, raised millions in funding, and secured major partnerships.

From sidewalk robots to street-legal pods and long-range drones, the sector now spans a wide range of technologies and business models.  [Read more…] about Top 20 autonomous delivery robot companies in 2025

DoorDash and Coco Robotics partner to launch new sidewalk delivery robot

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DoorDash, a local commerce platform, and Coco Robotics, a food delivery robotics company, have expanded their partnership to offer sidewalk robot delivery for DoorDash customers in select US markets.

This builds on an existing pilot program with Wolt – DoorDash’s international arm – where Coco robots have been making deliveries in Helsinki since earlier this year.

The US rollout is now live in Los Angeles and Chicago, where eligible customers can see the availability of Coco’s fleet of emissions-free sidewalk robots and may have one assigned to their order from nearly 600 participating merchants through the DoorDash app. [Read more…] about DoorDash and Coco Robotics partner to launch new sidewalk delivery robot

Serve Robotics saddles up for autonomous delivery in Dallas-Fort Worth via Uber Eats

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Serve Robotics, a provider of autonomous sidewalk delivery solutions, has launched its service in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.

This strategic expansion, in continued partnership with Uber Eats – the delivery platform of Uber Technologies – represents a major milestone in Serve’s plan to deploy 2,000 AI-powered delivery robots across the US by the end of 2025.

Serve robots have begun operating in the Uptown neighborhoods of Pearl, State Thomas, West Village and South Routh, reaching over 22,000 new households. [Read more…] about Serve Robotics saddles up for autonomous delivery in Dallas-Fort Worth via Uber Eats

Coco Robotics expands Uber Eats partnership to Miami

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Coco Robotics, a food delivery robotics company, is launching operations in Miami, starting with delivery partner Uber Eats. This announcement marks Coco’s entry into the Southeast market.

The service will initially launch in the Wynwood neighborhood and Downtown Miami, with plans to expand to Brickell and Miami Beach in the coming months, as well as other areas throughout 2025. Through the Uber Eats partnership, customers will be able to receive their orders via Coco’s emissions-free robots.

This builds on Coco’s existing partnership with Uber Eats in Los Angeles, where Coco Robotics has already completed over half a million deliveries since it began operations. [Read more…] about Coco Robotics expands Uber Eats partnership to Miami

Starship Technologies and Topanga partner to offer reusable packaging with campus food orders

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Starship Technologies, a builder and provider of autonomous delivery robots, and Topanga.io, a reusable packaging management platform, are partnering to offer reusable packaging for food orders at US campuses.

George Mason University will be the first Starship campus to introduce the ReusePass integration and the first university to offer a fully integrated reusables experience for kiosks.

There are plans to expand the service to additional Starship campuses. Initially available for mobile pickup and kiosk orders, it will be available for robot deliveries after the launch. [Read more…] about Starship Technologies and Topanga partner to offer reusable packaging with campus food orders

RoboSense and Coco Robotics partner to ‘revolutionize’ autonomous last-mile delivery

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RoboSense, a developer of AI-driven robotics technology, and Coco Robotics, an innovator in delivery robots and now known as Coco Delivery, have announced a strategic partnership to transform last-mile logistics.

By combining RoboSense’s advanced sensor technology with Coco Robotics’ delivery solutions, the collaboration aims to enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability in urban networks.

Coco Robotics bridges the gap between local businesses and customers through advanced navigation and real-time tracking, prioritizing sustainability by reducing carbon emissions and delivery costs. [Read more…] about RoboSense and Coco Robotics partner to ‘revolutionize’ autonomous last-mile delivery

Serve Robotics secures $86 million in new financing

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Serve Robotics, an autonomous delivery company, has raised gross proceeds of $86 million during December 2024, bringing total gross proceeds raised in 2024 to $167 million.

Since its spinout from Uber in 2021, the Company has secured approximately $220 million in total funding. The additional December 2024 funding includes proceeds raised through Serve’s previously filed ATM facility and the exercise of warrants. As of December 31, 2024, Serve had a total of approximately 51.5 million shares of common stock issued and outstanding.

This infusion of capital significantly strengthens Serve’s financial position, extending its expected operational runway approximately through the end of 2026. Serve is now able to self-fund equipment investments, eliminating the near-term need for equipment financing and its associated servicing costs. [Read more…] about Serve Robotics secures $86 million in new financing

9 Ways Apps Are Harnessing iOS Live Activities

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iOS 16 introduced Live Activities, which is supported by all newer versions of the operating system. We’ll explain what it is and when to use this handy iPhone tool.

What is Live Activities on your iPhone?

With the upgrade to iOS 16.1, Apple has added a tool for everyone who wants to stay up to date. The company defines Live Activities as ongoing, interactive notifications displayed immediately on the lock screen.

Live Activities are widgets that can update information online. Its banners are more significant than standard notifications. That is, you can see the information you are interested in without going into the application, which will be updated as needed.

This innovation first appeared on the iPhone 14 Pro, replacing the notch with the new Dynamic Island. It solves the problem of where to place the camera and contributes to the overall iPhone functionality. Dynamic Island is now the hub for this functionality, working perfectly with the always-on display.

Continuous Development From Apple

A big update added this feature to the Apple Sports app. Now, following sports events has become easier. You can instantly receive live streams of matches of your most-liked teams.

Apple News has also implemented Live Activities to track the US elections, allowing you to stay up to date without interrupting your daily activities. This became a great convenience for users who want to spend their time on something other than checking the news.

Third-party apps also actively support this innovation. Uber Eats and DoorDash simplify tracking food deliveries, and various restaurant and delivery apps offer similar features.

Endless Possibilities of Live Activities

The advantages are obvious: It makes it easier for users to engage with apps and quickly view relevant information. This increases user loyalty and satisfaction.

Live Activities are engaging for the following industries and use cases, among others:

  • Sports – real-time statistics on games & competitions
  • News – breaking news & live ticker
  • Fitness – statistics during your workout
  • Delivery – current information on delivery
  • Entertainment – live updates on events & concerts
  • Travel – flight & booking updates
  • And many more!

How Famous Apps Use iOS Live Activities

The central point of Live Activities support is, for sure, in various sports-related apps. For example, Slopes is used by skiers and snowboarders to track data on each descent and ascent and get information on speed, elevation gain, and distance traveled.

For many, this app allows you to find friends with the same interests. With Live Activities, information about friends on the same slope, the distance covered, and the elevation are displayed on the screen.

1. Mountain App

The Landscape app has approximately the same functionality, only it is designed for climbing mountains, not skiing and snowboarding. In real time, you can track your ascent graph, distance traveled, and altitude gain.

2. Sports App

The Liftin application has launched Live Activities for those who prefer more traditional sports. You can track the number of reps, rest timer, and the duration of each workout set directly from the lock screen.

If you have a recent iPhone Pro, you can launch a workout directly in the application, and all the necessary information will appear on both the lock screen and Dynamic Island.

If Liftin does not work for you, use the SmartGym application. This is a handy tool for weightlifting. Thanks to Live Activities, you can effortlessly track your progress in real time right from your lock screen, making it a convenient tool for fitness enthusiasts.

3. Sports Events App

But what if you prefer not to play sports but follow them? For football fans, the FotMob is a perfect match app. Here, you need to select your favorite leagues and teams, and as soon as a game involving them starts, it will instantly show up on the lock screen.

If you want to track a match not from the list of your subscriptions, then click on the star, and it will immediately be shown on the lock screen.

4. Recipe App

However, the world is not limited to sports. Sometimes you want to eat something tasty. Here, the Pestle application will help. It allows users to import any recipe from the Internet and turn it into a step-by-step process displayed on the lock screen with a special timer.

All you have to do is follow the guide step by step without being distracted by anything. This is a very convenient feature for those who like to cook.

The app also has additional options: creating a shopping list, a 14-day meal plan, and scanning recipes from paper with subsequent recognition. Users note that the app converts recipes into a very convenient format for cooking.

5. Grocery App

Grocery is an innovative, well-designed grocery shopping and meal planning app. Its support for syncing with iCloud and reminders helps you keep your list organized while shopping.

You can easily add shopping list items from Siri and Recipes. Live activity support on the lock screen makes tracking your shopping list or recipe timer convenient.

6. Flight Tracking App

Flighty is an iOS flight-tracking app with a sleek and user-friendly interface. The latest version displays information about your planned trip on your iPhone’s lock screen three hours before departure. You can also check flight status immediately on Dynamic Island.

7. Weather App

Carrot Weather is an iOS and macOS app that shows the weather forecast in its original form. Now, you can see details about weather events like rain or strong winds directly on your iPhone’s home screen or Dynamic Island.

8. Music App

The Soor app is excellent for those who want more than the standard Apple Music app. It works on iPhone and iPad. Now, users can see song lyrics on the screen with Live Active and Dynamic Island.

9. Remote Control App

If you have an Apple TV, a TV remote app is a must-have for every iPhone. Now, the most essential buttons are accessible directly through Live Activity, including on the lock screen and Dynamic Island.

The Live Activities Limitations

In September 2024, it became evident that Live Activities could not be updated as frequently in iOS 18. App developer Nico reported this on X, stating that previously, they could update Live Activities every second. However, starting with iOS 18, they can only update every 5-15 seconds.

Apple explained the change by stating that each update writes data to disk, leading to excessive wear on the device’s NAND storage. The company clarified that Live Activities never intended to deliver “real concurrent experiences,” describing the previous capability as an unintended “API loophole.”

This should not affect Live Activities that have time tracking, such as Uber or Lyft, which display a countdown timer for your arrival time. These apps don’t require frequent data refreshes from the app to function well.

Final Words

IOS Live Activities makes the iPhone lock screen practical for users. It allows them to track real-time information efficiently and conveniently without frequently going to the app. It’s a simple way to stay on top of things, save time, and keep important information at your fingertips!

Airbound secures $1.7 million to make drone delivery economically viable ‘everywhere’

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Airbound, a drone technology startup, has closed a $1.7 million seed round led by Lightspeed to build “the world’s most efficient delivery drone”.

With its proprietary blended wing body tailsitter design, called TRT, Airbound aims to transform logistics, reducing delivery costs by two orders of magnitude compared to traditional options.

Historically, the drone delivery industry has faced challenges due to regulatory complexity and high per-mile costs, which have prevented drones from becoming the default solution for last-mile logistics. [Read more…] about Airbound secures $1.7 million to make drone delivery economically viable ‘everywhere’