Uber has announced a partnership with Oakland-based Uber Eats partnered with two autonomous delivery companies to deliver food orders to customers using only sidewalk robots and self-driving cars in L.A. As for Cartken, the company is best-known for its partnership with Grubhub for food deliveries on several college campuses across the U.S. The service was piloted at Ohio State University earlier this year and has since been rolled out to more colleges and universities.
Uber's autonomous delivery service started on Thursday with select merchants in the Dadeland area of Miami-Dade County. The company, however, expects to expand the service to Miami-Dade and additional cities sometime next year. According to an official use automated and autonomous technology to unlock greater innovation for consumers and merchant partners."
Automated Robots Delivering Food In Miami-Dade County
Cartken's AI-powered sidewalk delivery robots are already used for neighborhood food and grocery delivery, campus meal delivery, and curbside pickup across the country, but this is the first time that they will be deployed for a global delivery app outside of college campuses.
According to in-app screenshots shared with more traditional courier delivery instead.
According to the official Cartken website, its six-wheeled robots come with multiple sensors and cameras that help them navigate the roads while avoiding obstacles. The company further claims that they are programmed to choose the routes that have the fewest hazards. They are also remotely monitored from the time they start their journey until the time they return to the company's office.
Uber's partnership with Cartken is the latest in a long line of similar tie-ups with third-party firms to offer cutting-edge services to its customers. A case in point is the company's recent partnership with Hyundai's driverless tech t venture, Motional, for a robotaxi service in Las Vegas. As part of the plan, Uber and Motional reportedly signed a 10-year deal that will make use of Motional’s Level 4 autonomous driving tech for both ride-hailing and delivery services in major cities across the U.S.
Source: Uber/PR Newswire, CNN, Cartken
