Uber Eats tests delivery robots in Los Angeles.
Uber Eats is conducting two pilot projects simultaneously in Los Angeles, using self-driving delivery robots from Serve Robotics and Motional. The aim is to test what customers and merchants want and to learn what makes sense for scaling up the technology.
Customers within the test zones can choose whether they want a robot at the door and will be asked to unlock the vehicle with a code on their phone to take the food out of the cargo space. However, a staff member will always accompany the robots to intervene when necessary, as they cannot live alone in Los Angeles.
The self-driving robots are not yet allowed to go out alone in Los Angeles, so a staff member will always come along to intervene when necessary. In principle, autonomous vehicles are not allowed to accept tips or payments. If people do leave suggestions, Uber Eats will refund the amount the company promises.
At first, the pilot projects will be limited to just a few restaurants. The experience will differ depending on which robot deliverer they get because Motional works with small cars while Serve is developing small pavement robots. The aim is to discover what customers and merchants want and learn what makes sense for scaling up.
Uber Eats hopes that the pilots will be successful and that the company can figure out how to scale up in a few months. Uber is already prepared to enter into multiple partnerships and truly integrate self-driving vehicles into its delivery platform alongside physical couriers.
The article is “Uber Eats tests delivery robots in Los Angeles.”