Robots Start Food Deliveries for Uber Eats in Austin

Autonomous robot company Avride’s delivery robots are now delivering Uber Eats orders in Austin, Texas.

The Avride robots this week began delivering orders in the area from Cesar Chavez Street north to 15th Street, and from I-35 west to West Ave. with plans to gradually expand the delivery area. 

Customers ordering through the Uber Eats app can choose to have their order delivered by an Avride autonomous robot. An “autonomous vehicles may deliver your order” option appears if the merchant is participating in the rollout. Before the robot is dispatched, customers have the option to decline that delivery option. 

For customers using robot delivery, they can track its real-time location and when it reaches its destination, a notification will appear in the Uber Eats app. Customers can tap “unlock” in the app to open the robot’s hatch to retrieve their order. To ensure there’s enough time to access an order, the robot will wait for up to 10 minutes at the delivery location. 

The Austin robot announcement comes two weeks after Avride unveiled a new model of its sidewalk delivery robot the company said will improve the efficiency and safety of deliveries.

The new model deviates from the Avride classic six-wheel robot. After six generations, the company has transitioned from six wheels to four to give the bot more capabilities.