Self-driving robots in Dallas for Uber Eats deliveries
The company says the delivery robots will be active in Dallas within the next few days. And unlike human delivery drivers, you aren’t expected to tip.
DALLAS – Self-driving robots will soon be making the rounds in parts of Dallas.
The autonomous machines will be used to make food and small grocery deliveries.
The sidewalks in Downtown Dallas are about to get a little busier.
Autonomous vehicles will soon be on the move in the Dallas Downtown Historic District.
The robots created by Avride will deliver food and small grocery items available through Uber Eats.
The robots will operate within a two-mile radius – for now.
When a customer places an order in the Uber Eats app, they are given the option of a human carrier or an autonomous vehicle.
“As soon as the robot picks up the order at the restaurant, the customer can track the robot’s location on the map in the Uber Eats app,” said Yulia Shveyko, Avride head of communications.
The automotive company says there’s a button inside that app that will unlock the door to gain access to the order.
“The hatch is locked throughout the whole way,” said Shveyko. “So no one will be able to open the robot except the customer who initially placed the order.”
Company leaders were in Dallas Monday to brief the city’s public safety committee on their plans to expand to Dallas.
“What if someone disrupts this or someone is lying on the sidewalk?” asked Councilmember Gay Donnell Willis.
“If something unpredictable happens, the robot stops,” Shveyko explained. “That’s one of the safety options. It always stops.”
Avride says if the robot finds itself in a complicated situation, a remote team can connect to the robot to see what’s going on and lets it know how to proceed.
The robots are about the size of a large suitcase. Each is equipped with several cameras, a red light and an animated screen for visibility. They operate with a maximum speed of five miles per hour.
Avrides says it has other services in store for Dallas next year.
“Our partnership with Uber will include robotaxi rides later in 2025,” Shbeyko said. “And our hope is to launch it first in the city of Dallas as well.”
The company says the delivery robots will be active in Dallas within the next few days. And unlike human delivery drivers, you aren’t expected to tip.
