Uber Eats starts using delivery robots in Jersey City; first city on the East Coast
The robots are through a partnership between Uber and Avride - an autonomous vehicle development company based out of Texas.
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Anyone ordering food through Uber Eats may soon have their meals delivered to their home via robot.
Uber Eats launched a robotic delivery service in Jersey City on Thursday. It is the first time the technology is available to the general public on the East Coast, according to Uber.
“Ultimately, this is going to be common in every city. You see robots being more and more a part of, you know, society,” says Mayor Steven Fulop.
The robots are through a partnership between Uber and Avride - an autonomous vehicle development company based out of Texas.
[twitter] https://twitter.com/News12NJ/status/1890127089933906159 [/twitter]
According to the company, Avride's delivery robots have a range of 31 miles on one charge and can travel up to 5 mph.
“They have operated in very hot heat in Texas. They’ve also been accustomed to the snow and the rain. They are equipped with a complex set of sensors, so they are able to navigate the streets in different types of weather,” says Megan Jensen, a senior manager with Uber.
Jensen says that once the robot is loaded with the food items, it will travel to the customer automatically.
“People stare, it’s a weird thing, but these sorts of things are going to become more and more common and they’re probably going to make life easier if used properly,” Fulop says.
Uber says the delivery robots are operating in 11 cities and there are plans to expand to more in the near future.
