They’re the size of a suitcase, roll down your street at five miles per hour, and never complain about tips: Uber Eats’ delivery robots are quietly taking over food runs across America, reshaping the future of takeout one meal at a time.
Partnering with Avride, Uber has begun deploying autonomous four-wheeled robots that navigate sidewalks using LIDAR, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors to dodge pedestrians, recognize traffic signals, and handle crowded streets with ease. Already live in Austin and parts of New Jersey, these robots can carry up to 55 pounds of food, making them capable of delivering everything from a family pizza night to grocery bags and small packages.
And they don’t take breaks. Rain or shine, these robots run 12-hour shifts on swappable batteries, only opening their secured cargo compartments when customers unlock them via the Uber Eats app upon arrival.
Uber’s bet on robots isn’t about novelty. Serving over 31 million active users in the U.S., the company sees robot delivery as a key strategy to cut fees, avoid traffic delays, and reduce dependence on human drivers. Unlike gig workers, robots don’t quit, call out sick, or get stuck in gridlock, making them a reliable last-mile delivery solution in congested urban areas.
Jersey City residents in neighborhoods like Hamilton Park and the Waterfront are already getting used to seeing these robots hum along sidewalks, and Dallas is slated to join the list next. Uber and Avride plan to deploy hundreds more robots by the end of 2025, and company reps say customer interest could determine which city sees these rolling couriers next.
The privacy-minded might wonder what data these robots collect. According to Uber, the machines don’t store personal payment or delivery details, only the pickup and drop-off points needed for navigation. Camera footage automatically blurs faces and license plates, and any sensor data collected is anonymized to improve the technology rather than track customers.
Uber’s robot push is part of a wider trend in the automation of everyday life, alongside Amazon’s drone deliveries and robot-run retail stores like VenHub. Each step further normalizes technology taking over tasks once handled by humans. While human delivery drivers aren’t going away overnight, the rollout of these machines hints at a future where robot couriers become as common as rideshare pickups in American cities.
Critics raise concerns over potential job losses, but proponents argue that robots could handle short, repetitive urban routes, freeing drivers for longer, higher-paying deliveries. Uber sees robots as an efficiency play, ensuring food arrives hot, safely, and on time.
For now, as these robots quietly expand, the question isn’t if but when you’ll open your front door to see a squat, blinking delivery bot waiting to hand off your chicken tikka masala or pepperoni pizza.
Whether you’re excited to embrace the convenience or wary of the job implications, the robot revolution is rolling forward, one sidewalk at a time.