Uber Eats launches robot delivery service in Philadelphia's Center City district. Here's how it works.
Philadelphia native Will Smith once starred in the hit 2004 blockbuster, "I, Robot," which depicts a world where humans live alongside robots in the year 2035. Well, that future could be arriving at your doorstep in 2026.
Uber Eats launched a self-driving robot delivery fleet Tuesday morning in Philadelphia through a partnership with Avride, an autonomous vehicle and delivery robot company.
For now, the program will be limited to Center City, but Uber said it plans to expand the service throughout the city.
Philly is now the fourth city to receive the service as Avride's delivery robots are already operating in Austin, Dallas and Jersey City.
"With its dynamic food scene, we're thrilled to introduce autonomous delivery robots in Philadelphia with Avride – creating an exciting new way for customers to order from their favorite local spots. We look forward to introducing this cutting-edge technology to more Uber Eats customers over time in close collaboration with the Philadelphia community," Aaron Emrich, head of autonomous delivery at Uber, said in a statement.
How it works
The high-tech delivery option is available daily through the Uber Eats app from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from participating restaurants. If available, the robot is dispatched to pick up the order and deliver it to the customer's location.
Uber Eats customers can track the robot's location in real time through the app. Once it arrives, customers will receive a notification to unlock the robot's hatch to retrieve their order. The robot will wait up to 10 minutes for the order to be collected.
According to Uber, the robots operate within a one to two mile delivery radius and can travel at speeds of up to 5 mph. They can stay charged for up to 12 hours and will operate through rain, shine and snow.
The robots operate with a system of cameras and sensors to navigate their delivery path, allowing them to identify traffic signals and obstacles to help avoid collisions with pedestrians and other objects, according to Avride.
Avride also said the robots are designed with privacy protections as cameras will automatically blur faces and license plates. Avride said the devices do not collect personal data. While the robots operate autonomously, a remote human support team can take control if needed. It is unclear where the robots are housed when they are not in service.
The delivery units can carry up to six 16.5-inch pizzas and five 1.5-liter bottles, according to Avride.
Robot deliveries will not include tipping, though customers can rate the experience in the app as they would with a traditional delivery.
Uber and Avride said they plan to expand its robot delivery program to other cities in the near future.
Hopefully this robot fares better than HitchBOT.
