Uber Eats Teams Up with Starship for Robot Food Delivery in the UK
Hey everyone! So, Uber Eats is getting a bit of a robotic makeover across the pond! I'm talking about the U.K., where they're teaming up with Starship Technologies to bring food right to your doorstep via sidewalk delivery robots. Pretty cool, right?
Starting this December, if you're in Leeds or Sheffield, you might just see one of these little six-wheeled bots trundling down the street with your dinner. Uber Eats is kicking things off with a limited selection of restaurants, but they've got bigger plans. They're aiming to expand this service to other spots in Europe by 2026 and even bring it stateside in 2027. As someone who appreciates the convenience of food delivery, I'm definitely curious to see how this all plays out. After all, anything that promises to get me my late-night snack faster is a win in my book!
This isn't Uber's first foray into the world of autonomous delivery. They've been playing the field with other companies like Serve Robotics and Avride in the U.S. for a while now. It seems like Uber is serious about getting in on the ground floor (or, sidewalk level?) of this technology. And honestly, I can't blame them.
Starship Technologies isn't exactly a newcomer either. They've already got around 3,000 of these robots zipping around in over 270 locations worldwide. These little guys are designed for short trips, usually under two miles, and promise delivery times of under 30 minutes. That's pretty impressive! I mean, think about it – no more waiting forever for your food while it makes its way through traffic. These robots could seriously change the game. If this takes off, it's going to be interesting seeing how this could affect restaurants, delivery jobs and logistics as well.
Source: TechCrunch