Food delivery robots are chilling on Atlanta sidewalks — don't move them
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Getting a little too close there, Deandre the Robot. Photo: Thomas Wheatley/Axios
Let's talk about a new sight popping up on Atlanta's sidewalks.
Driving the news: I've spotted Serve's autonomous delivery robots — the ones with the blinking "eyes" and individual names — seemingly stranded on side streets or baffled by shade trees.
- Just this week, I encountered a robot named Deandre nose-to-nose with a smart garbage and recycling bin in Downtown's Fairlie-Poplar district.
- Whether a stranger's hamburger arrives on time is low on my list of worries, but I did wonder: Is it stuck? And should I help?
Catch up quick: In June, UberEats unleashed the latest wave of soldiers in the autonomous invasion on how Atlanta hails a taxi, provides private security and even cleans convenience store floors.
- From 9am to 10pm, customers in neighborhoods like Midtown, Old Fourth Ward and Downtown can choose the option of getting a burrito, chicken sandwich or other food items delivered via Serve's autonomous robots.
The bots, which are also available in Los Angeles, Dallas and Miami, can travel up to 4 mph and have a range of 48 miles per charge, according to Uber. Plus, they aren't daunted by inclement weather.
Yes, but: These bots could take the heat but were apparently no match for Atlanta's pockmarked sidewalks littered with busted scooters and chicken wing bones.
- In between deliveries the robots will attempt to find a place to chill without blocking pedestrians, the company says.
What they're saying: "Our robots display 'on delivery' on their screen by default, even while parked," Aduke Thelwell, Serve's vice president of communications and investor relations, told Axios. "So stationary robots like this one are typically just waiting for their next order."
- "This means there is no action needed. That said, the robots are remotely monitored and there is a number on the back of the robot to contact us if ever truly necessary."
The bottom line: If you see a robot staring down a trash can, do not attempt to move it. It's most likely resting.