Robot development company Serve recently deepened its relationship with Uber Eats to deploy 2,000 food delivery bots across the US.
Robots have service expanded its partnership With Uber Eats, he has deployed up to 2,000 delivery bots across the US. Reports indicate that SurfRobotics’ autonomous curbside delivery robots will be on hand to deliver goods via the Uber platform in several markets in the US. The Serve Robotics-Uber Eats partnership will run through early 2026.
Speaking about the joint initiative, Surf co-founder and CEO Ali Kashani noted:
“We expect our rapid growth on Uber Eats to continue. We currently have a fleet of 100 bots in Los Angeles, and we expect to run an increasing number of them on Uber Eats as we increase our coverage and delivery volume on Uber.”
The Robotics-Uber Eats partnership service is mutually progressive for both platforms
The collaboration between both platforms underscores Serv’s agenda of promoting autonomous delivery through trading robots. In addition, the Serve and Uber Eats partnership also strengthens the food delivery platform’s commitment to independent services.
Uber (NYSE:UBER) is currently involved in several autonomy-as-a-service deals for its ride-hailing and delivery platforms. For example, the San Francisco-based company announced last week that Waymo’s self-driving cars will be integrated into its service feature later this year. According to Uber, the rollout of the service will begin in Phoenix, Arizona. The package delivery platform is also partnering with autonomous vehicle technology company Motional to deliver meals in Santa Monica, California. Also, previous reports indicate that the delivery initiative will be done with the participation of Serve Robotics.
The Serve-Uber partnership started as a pilot scheme a year ago before growing over 30% month-over-month. Currently, Serve’s Uber-assisted bot deliveries comprise a network of more than 200 restaurants in Hollywood, West Hollywood, and Fairfax. Moreover, Kashani said that Serve’s delivery bots are currently running all week between the hours of 10 am and 9 pm. However, the company shares its automated fleet with other partners, including 7-Eleven.
Although Serve hasn’t identified its next target markets with its expanded Uber Eats partnership, the company is eyeing San Jose and Dallas. In addition, Surf is also reported to be planning to expand into Vancouver, Canada. The Los Angeles-based robotics company has just completed two pilots with Pizza Hut in Vancouver and Walmart (NYSE: WMT) in Arkansas. Although the companies involved did not disclose the value of the deal, Kashani said that Serve operates a delivery-as-a-service business model. This means that the bot platform receives payment on a per-delivery basis.
Robotics service
As a designer, developer and operator of zero-emission public service robots, Serve has a fleet of Level 4 autonomous pavement robots. This operational designation means that the machines can operate adequately with minimal human intervention. Although the tasks involve driving efficiently in certain circumstances, the robots require remote human supervision when encountering certain situations, including ongoing construction or police tapes. However, Kashani said that Surf’s bots are capable of changing course if they encounter obstacles in the path. The CEO also added that the robots could independently avoid collisions by anticipating the driver’s inattention. However, supervisors usually assist with street crossings.
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Tolu is a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast based in Lagos. He likes to demystify cryptocurrency stories down to the bare essentials so that anyone anywhere can understand without much background knowledge. When he’s not deep into cryptocurrency stories, Tolo enjoys music, loves to sing, and is a movie lover.