Autonomous food delivery robots come to Arlington
Autonomous robots now delivering food in Arlington
An autonomous robot company called Navride has brought food delivery bots to Arlington, that customers can book through Uber Eats.
ARLINGTON, Va. - Starting Wednesday, food delivery robots are navigating their way around Arlington, Virginia.
Avride is the company behind the technology already in other parts of the country, and now in northern Virginia.
In an exclusive behind-the-scenes look, FOX 5 got a first look at the latest technology to hit Arlington streets.
One Arlington resident said seeing the robots gave them a sense of "amusement, curiosity, some wonderment. They don't look like food delivery robots."
Even so, they stole the show on Wilson Boulevard, passers-by stopping and staring at the white cooler like fixers with a digital interface.
"It was developed to help businesses deliver local food and entrées and such to areas such as the Rosslyn, Ballston corridor," said Laura Lawton, an Aviride Spokesperson.
"We're partnering with Uber Eats... before you check out, you will be asked if you want a delivery person or an autonomous robot to deliver your food." said Lawton in an interview with FOX 5's Tisha Lewis.
Uber Eats says the company looks forward to bringing this technology to more Uber Eats customers over time.
We're told 30% of deliveries take place in snow and rain, and the rectangle-shaped robots are said to be good at handling speed bumps and low curbs.
FOX 5 went on a test run from the 2000 block of Wilson Boulevard to the 2100 block of Clarendon Boulevard, ending at Arlington Public Library.
"It can become a little problematic for folks. They're in the way; they stop at intersections and aren't quite sure what to do when there's busy traffic," said Gary Orosy, an automation expert.
"I would say some of the challenges would be keeping up with demand because there's a lot of people that are ordering," said Lawton.
The robots don't speak, but they can communicate.
"They do share heart eyes, smiling eyes," said Lawton.
"One thing to remember If you choose a delivery robot, you don't have to tip the robot."
And no speeding with a 5-mile per hour limit.
FOX 5's Tisha Lewis reports the autonomous food delivery robots are up and running in Austin, Dallas, Philadelphia, Jersey City and now in Arlington.
We asked if this would cut into work for food delivery drivers and were told the robots focus on a 2-mile radius while delivery drivers go much further.