Don’t mistake them for the robots in “The Sims” game series, but they look somewhat like them.
Uber Eats and its food delivery robots are now in full swing in Atlanta, Georgia now that it has launched them in Atlanta and into the planet late last week, in partnership with Serve Robotics.
Serve Robotics is a business that crafts advanced, AI-powered, low-emission sidewalk delivery robots with the objective to make food deliveries sustainable and economical.
The company was a spinoff from Uber in 2021. Then, it was an independent company completing tens of thousands of deliveries from partners, such as Uber Eats and 7-Eleven.
Those plans were ongoing since late last year, 2024, when Serve Robotics launched those robots in Los Angeles, California, too. They are also in Miami and Dallas-Fort Worth.
Right now, it has scalable multi-year contracts, not to mention a signed agreement to deploy up to 2,000 delivery robots on the Uber Eats platform across several markets in the United States.
Features
The features of these delivery robots? Well, they reportedly come with a spaceship-like hatch for food, chunky wheels, and curious eyeballs to visualize and see the roads. Plus, their own names like those name tags on restaurant staff’s clothing.
Also, they can travel around as much as 48 miles on one charge! Thus, reaching illustrious speeds of up to four miles per hour. However, they still have taken the jobs of human delivery staff.
However, this is the first time this technology has been available to the general public in Atlanta. Famous restaurants like Shake Shack, Ponko Chicken, and Rreal Tacos are expected to chime in soon.
“As one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the Southeast, Atlanta is a strategic next step for our planned nationwide expansion,” stated Dr. Ali Kashani, the CEO and co-founder of Serve Robotics. “We are pleased to be one of the first robotics companies to enter the market and bring our friendly approach to delivery.”
How it works
From 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. throughout metro Atlanta, some human delivery staff are losing their jobs since these robots are available to take customers’ orders.
These robots will also wait up to 10 minutes for customers to retrieve their meals upon arrival. Remember to tap “Unlock.”
These robots won’t charge tips, but they are open for your review. You also don’t need to worry if there’s inclement weather because these robots can do their work.
Last reminder: customers still have the option to choose human couriers in Atlanta when using the Uber Eats app.
But, for sure, these robots will prevent those human staff asking you to run back to your house for smaller bills as they may not have change.