These Robots Will Deliver Your Food Orders In The Near Future!
Uber Eats could soon have robots serve U.S. customers their orders.
The food delivery service is working with autonomous delivery startup Serve Robotics to deploy over 2,000 food delivery robots across U.S. cities by the end of 2023. The move marks the expansion of the partnership between the two last year, when they launched a pilot that saw sidewalk robots deliver food in California.
"This partnership is a major step towards mass commercialisation of robotics for autonomous delivery, and it is a testament to the success of our partnership," said Serve Co-Founder and CEO Dr. Ali Kashani in a statement. "We are excited to continue our work with Uber to bring this innovative technology to more cities across the country."
Serve says deliveries have grown over 30% month-over-month since deliveries kicked off in 2022. Over 200 restaurants in Los Angeles are now participating in the pilot.
The partnership, however, did not mention what cities it plans to hit in the coming months.
Serve touts that the deployment of its artificial intelligence-powered delivery robots can reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, while improving delivery efficiency. According to the startup, its robots are capable of driving themselves without any human intervention in most conditions. They can also avoid collisions and reroute in the event they encounter anything blocking their path.
Previously, Serve worked with Walmart in Arkansas and Pizza Hut in Vancouver to launch similar pilot programs. It has also been working with 7-Eleven since 2021 on a similar robotic sidewalk delivery service in Los Angeles.
Serve was founded in 2017 as the robotics division of Postmates, a rival food delivery service that Uber acquired in 2020. The startup set out to build a robotic delivery experience that not only delights customers but also improves reliability for merchants and reduces emissions from vehicles. Among its investors are chip maker Nvidia and ride-hailing giant Uber.
Uber Eats is working with autonomous delivery startup Serve Robotics to deploy over 2,000 food delivery robots across U.S. cities by the end of 2023.
Serve says deliveries have grown over 30% month-over-month since deliveries kicked off in 2022.
However, there was no mention of what cities Uber Eats and Serve plan to hit in the coming months.
Serve touts that the deployment of its artificial intelligence-powered delivery robots can reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, while improving delivery efficiency.