Uber Eats and Serve Robotics, two titans of the food delivery business, have announced official plans to launch robotic food delivery services in major US cities from 2026.
Serve Robotics has announced that its AI-powered four-wheeled robots have advanced path planning capabilities, a battery life of approximately 40 kilometres and a maximum payload capacity of 23kg. Each day, these robots expertly manage the delivery of multiple orders.
Customers using Uber Eats will soon be able to choose a robot delivery for their meals, according to Uber. Customers will be given a password to access and retrieve their meal once the robot arrives at the agreed location, ensuring a safe and reliable delivery experience.
Field testing of the robot food delivery service has already begun in California, where Uber and Serve are both active participants. Uber has set lofty environmental goals, aiming for a zero carbon emissions delivery platform by 2040, and the inclusion of robotic delivery is a critical component of this endeavour.
Serve Robotics grew out of a delivery robot initiative started by Postmates, a well-known food delivery service, as a spin-off from Uber. The company has received a significant investment of around 71 million yuan. Serve has seen more than 30% monthly growth in delivery volume since its launch last year and has a user base of over 200 restaurants in the Los Angeles area.
Uber has also announced plans to expand its relationship with Serve Robotics to other locations in 2026, including San Jose, California; Dallas, Texas; and Vancouver, Canada. The goal is to deploy up to 2,000 delivery robots to expand the reach and efficiency of its food delivery operations.
