Uber Eats has deployed Avride-manufactured autonomous delivery robots in Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love becomes the fourth U.S. city — following Austin, Dallas, and Jersey City, New Jersey — to host these robots as part of a multiyear Avride-Uber partnership unveiled in late 2024.
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According to a Lehigh Daily News report, the robots are suitcase-sized, travel up to 5 mph on sidewalks, and carry up to 55 pounds. The robots use lidar, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles up to 200 feet away, with swappable batteries offering up to 31 miles of range.
In selected service areas, when a customer orders through the Uber Eats app, they can choose to have a robot deliver their meal. The customer can track the robot in real time and, upon arrival, unlock its insulated cargo compartment through the app.
According to Lehigh Daily News, Uber Eats has completed hundreds of thousands of robot deliveries across more than 10 U.S. cities through partnerships it maintains with several robotics companies. These companies include Avride, Serve Robotics, Coco Robotics, and Cartken, according to Uber.
The broader push for delivery robots in cities like Philadelphia across the nation has drawn scrutiny over pedestrian safety and accessibility. Critics raise questions about sidewalk safety, ADA compliance, and how robots affect pedestrian flow.