Eight local restaurants are taking part in the trial
Robot delivery drivers are no longer the realms of science-fiction as a futuristic Valentine’s Day trial between Just Eat and eight Bristol restaurants takes place this weekend.
Hungry people looking to order from a select group of local establishments will see a ‘get it delivered by robot’ banner appearing on the restaurant’s Just Eat page.
Mert Öztekin, chief technology officer at Just Eat, said the company was always looking to innovate for its customers but didn’t mention any potential long-term impact a successful trial would have on drivers’ jobs.
“We’re always innovating to improve the delivery experience for our customers,” he said.
“To trial ground robotics we’ve teamed up with two expert organisations to ensure that we’re learning and working with the very best. For those in Bristol and Milton Keynes who love tech – what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than a robot delivery from your favourite local.”
Delivery robots are being tested in Bristol this weekend.
According to Just Eat, the South West region experienced the biggest uptick in orders on Valentine’s Day last year. The restaurants taking part in the trial in Bristol are: Bishopston Fish Bar, Chicken Mews, Chicking, M&M Kebab and Pizza (Filton), Jolly Fryer, Caspian Fish Bar and Miss Millie’s Chicken (Gloucester Road).
The robots being used in the Bristol trial have been supplied by ‘autonomous mobility technology company’ Delivers.ai. A similar trial is taking place in Milton Keynes in partnership with tech firm RIVR.
Oral Yigitkus, Delivers.ai’s chief technology officer & founder, said: “We’re excited to be partnering with Just Eat Takeaway in Bristol and to support local independent restaurants with our technology. This partnership is an important step in demonstrating how Delivers.AI’s ground robotics technology can complement existing delivery networks, helping to improve reliability, urban logistics, and the overall customer experience while supporting local high streets.”
Neither Mr Öztekin nor Mr Yigitkus mentioned the massive financial benefits their companies would derive from human delivery drivers eventually being replaced with robots.
You can now have takeaways delivered by a robot, in just a few taps on your smartphone
The JustEat experiment is far from the first of its type in the UK; in 2022, delivery giants DPD began testing similar technology in Milton Keynes in a trial that also eventually spread to Bristol.
Automation has long been a feature of the logistics industry, but usually further up the supply chain than so-called ‘last-mile’ deliveries.
During the DPD trial, chief executive Elaine Kerr said, “Realistically, we won’t be replacing our delivery drivers any time soon.
“Nor would we want to. The service they provide is fantastic.”
The exact meaning of ‘any time soon’ remains to be seen. A 2024 report from the Institute of Public Policy Research warned AI threatened up to 8 million jobs in the UK without government intervention.