Following the rapid growth in use of artificial intelligence Uber announced a partnership Thursday with Starship Technologies to deploy autonomous sidewalk robots for Uber Eats food deliveries.
The AI-powered robots will handle short-distance orders of up to 2 miles, aiming to complete them in under 30 minutes. The service launches in Leeds, United Kingdom, next month, with expansions planned to additional European markets in 2026 and the United States in 2027.
Sarfaz Maredia, Uber‘s global head of autonomy, said autonomous delivery will play a major role in the future of Uber Eats. Pairing Uber’s platform scale with Starship’s specialized technology will enhance reliability and speed for customers and merchants alike, he added.
Starship’s fleet currently includes more than 2,700 robots operating in seven countries, having completed over 9 million deliveries.
About Uber Technologies Inc.
San Francisco-based Uber operates the world’s largest ride-hailing and food-delivery platform, connecting millions of users with drivers, couriers and merchants through its app in more than 70 countries.
About Starship Technologies
Founded in 2014 by Skype co-founders Janus Friis and Ahti Heinla, Starship Technologies develops and operates six-wheeled autonomous delivery robots designed for last-mile deliveries on sidewalks in urban and suburban areas.