Uber Sends Out Autonomous Mini Droids To Deliver Food Around Miami

Your next Uber Eats delivery person may not be a person at all if you’re living in Miami. The company has green-flagged a new pilot project to test autonomous robots in delivering food and packages to customers.
 
The operations will see self-navigating robots taking to the sidewalks and pathways of the Dadeland area in Miami.

In 2020, Uber decided to shut down its self-driving portion of the company and instead focus on employing third-party technology. So with that, its newest venture comes in conjunction with Cartken, which has delivered a fleet of six-wheeled robots containing multiple sensors, cameras, and a red flag sticking out from their top to alert other pedestrians of their presence.

The autonomous droids can even make their way through buildings and other indoor spaces.

The company has also stated that it fed the robots routes with the fewest hazards to avoid collisions and mishaps while on duty.
 
If you’re concerned that your meal will be stolen while being delivered, rest assured that it will be protected inside the delivery person’s robot’s compartment with a keypad that is only accessible to you and the business you are ordering from.

The partnership is expected to expand to Miami-Dade County, before eventually heading to other cities in 2023.
 
 
 
[via Fast Company and CNN, images via Cartken]