Uber Eats customers in Jersey City can now receive their meals through Avride’s autonomous sidewalk delivery robots, as part of Uber’s broader integration of automation into its food delivery services.
This new service, launched this week, deploys self-driving bots to manage last-mile deliveries in a dense urban setting.
The partnership between Uber and Avride, first announced in October 2024, has already resulted in robotic delivery rollouts in Austin and Dallas.
With this latest expansion, Uber continues to incorporate autonomous solutions into its platform, now operating in 11 cities with multiple AV partners, including Cartken, Coco, Nuro, and Serve Robotics.
The company is also preparing to introduce Waymo’s self-driving taxis in Austin and Atlanta in early 2025.
Delivery Bots Designed for Urban Navigation
Avride’s sidewalk robots operate at speeds of up to 5 miles per hour and can travel 31 miles on a single charge.
Their optimal delivery range is one to two miles, though the initial rollout is limited to a one-square-mile area covering Hamilton Park, Historic Downtown, and the Waterfront. The exact number of deployed bots has not been disclosed, but future expansion is expected.
These autonomous bots are designed to navigate sidewalks and crosswalks independently, with customers tracking their location in real time through the Uber Eats app.
Upon arrival, users receive a notification and can unlock the robot via the app to collect their order. Several restaurants are participating in the launch, including Michelin-rated Jiangnan, Rumi Turkish Grill, and Gulp, giving customers a preview of automated food delivery.
Jersey City’s urban environment presents unique challenges for Avride’s bots, particularly in winter when snow, rain, and cold temperatures could affect their operation.
Avride states that the robots are designed to function in moderate precipitation and can adapt to varying conditions. The outcome of this pilot program could influence the broader adoption of autonomous delivery solutions in other major cities.
Updated Robot Design for Improved Efficiency
Avride’s latest sidewalk delivery robots introduce a new four-wheeled design, replacing the previous six-wheeled model.
The earlier version offered stability but caused higher friction, leading to increased battery consumption. The updated design enhances energy efficiency, allowing for extended operational hours before recharging.
In addition to energy efficiency, the chassis has been reengineered for better maneuverability, improving the robots’ ability to navigate urban environments with narrow sidewalks and high foot traffic.
These upgrades aim to enhance reliability in real-world conditions, including inclement weather.
Navigation Adapted for Crowded Sidewalks
The latest Avride robots feature pivoting axles and movable arms, allowing for instant 180-degree turns.
This design helps them navigate tight sidewalks, adjust for pedestrians, and move smoothly across different terrain types.
The redesigned wheel system enables each side to adjust its turning angle simultaneously, ensuring stability even on uneven pavement or steep inclines.
These enhancements make the bots particularly suited for dense urban areas like Jersey City, where they must navigate busy sidewalks while avoiding obstacles such as parked bikes, pedestrians, and street furniture.
AI-Driven Control System and Modular Storage
Avride’s robots operate on Nvidia’s Jetson Orin platform, an AI-based computing system that enables real-time decision-making, object detection, and optimized route planning.
This allows the bots to adjust their path based on changing conditions, such as unexpected obstacles or shifts in pedestrian traffic, while maintaining an efficient delivery pace.
The robots also feature a modular cargo space, allowing operators to customize compartments based on the size of the order. This flexibility enables the bots to transport both small and large food packages efficiently.
Human-Like Interaction to Enhance Public Perception
One notable feature in Avride’s latest robots is a front-facing LED panel displaying animated digital eyes.
According to the company, these expressive visuals help improve pedestrian interactions and reduce the likelihood of vandalism.
The bots can simulate eye movements, glance around, and even “wink” at customers upon delivery. Studies suggest that adding human-like characteristics to robots can positively influence public perception and interaction with autonomous machines.
Jersey City as a Testing Ground
Jersey City’s weather conditions and high population density make it an important testing ground for Avride’s sidewalk delivery robots. If the bots prove to be reliable in challenging environments, including snow and rain, it could lead to broader deployments in cities with similar conditions.
Avride has already secured partnerships beyond Uber Eats, including a collaboration with Grubhub to deploy delivery robots at Ohio State University.
The company’s ability to integrate into diverse environments—such as university campuses, business districts, and residential areas—will likely play a role in shaping the future of autonomous last-mile delivery.
Expansion Plans
Avride aims to deploy at least 100 robots by January 2025, with ongoing production in Taiwan. The company is also working on expanding its services beyond sidewalk delivery, with plans to launch a robotaxi service in Dallas.
For Uber, the Jersey City rollout marks another step in its exploration of autonomous food delivery. If successful, this partnership could accelerate the adoption of delivery robots across additional U.S. cities, reshaping how food delivery services operate in the years ahead.
Originally a spinout from Russian tech firm Yandex, Avride has rapidly expanded its presence in the U.S. and continues to secure strategic partnerships.
