Evri trials a two-legged delivery robot in the UK, and it can get up stairs

Meet Evri's new robot (Image credit: Evri) Evri is testing out a two-legged delivery robot in BarnsleyThe robot can avoid obstacles and get up stairsEvri says the delivery bot is designed to support couriers, not replace themWe've seen robot delivery schemes before, but none quite like this: British delivery company Evri has partnered with Refined Robotics in Japan to run the first trial of a two-legged delivery robot in Europe — with Barnsley, the UK's first official Tech Town, chosen as the location.According to the announcement, the bot doesn't have an official name, but is designed to give customers "more choice, convenience and control over how they receive their parcels" according to Evri's Chief Technology Officer Marcus Hunter.Most of the delivery robots we've seen to date look like cool boxes trundling along on wheels, but the bipedal approach of this new machine means it can navigate its way around obstacles and even get up stairs if necessary.For the purposes of this pilot scheme at least, the idea is to have the robot act as a "support" for couriers, so it won't be going out delivering parcels on its own (and can't drive a van anyway). The bot can move at speeds of up to 6 kph (3.7 mph), and carry parcels up to 15 kilograms (33 pounds) in weight.Last-mile logistics Evri has previously tested four-wheeled delivery robots (Image credit: Evri)Evri says its delivery robot is able to traverse "uneven surfaces", and get in and out of a delivery van. It can be remotely controlled or work autonomously as the situation demands, and can drop off parcels with or without the recipient being present — so presumably it has a trick for releasing its cargo without any help.Perhaps understandably, in these early stages the robot is going to be delivering "fashion parcels", as per the BBC — so nothing that's going to get broken or bashed in transit if the robot takes a tumble on the kerbside.There's no word yet on if or when this might be rolled out more widely: Evri is going to evaluate all aspects of the delivery service trial to see what works and what doesn't, and how robots might ultimately be of most use to customers and couriers.Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more."Our two-legged delivery robot has been specifically designed to tackle some of the most complex challenges in last-mile logistics," says Refined Robotics CEO Nick Hafner. "[We] look forward to understanding how robotics can complement existing delivery networks and support the future of parcel delivery." Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.