Avride food delivery robots now operating in downtown Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Avride’s food delivery robots rolled out for the first time on the streets of downtown Austin on Tuesday.

"Initially, we started making the first deliveries in Mueller District in Austin and it was December 2023, and we have partnered with Uber, and our robots have joined Uber Eats platform to start deliveries in Austin," says Avride Head of Communications, Yulia Shveyko.

According to Avride, the delivery robots operate from Cesar Chavez Street North to 15th Street and from I-35 West to West Avenue.

When a customer places an order on 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. As soon as the robot arrives at the drop-off point, the customer will be notified about it," says Shveyko.

The tech company says there is a button inside that app that will unlock the door to gain access to the order.

"The hatch is locked throughout the whole way, so no one will be able to open the robot, except the customer who initially placed the order," says Shveyko.

Avride says there is currently a fleet of more than a dozen sidewalk robots that will expand in the near future. The robots will undergo maintenance regularly.

"If the robot finds itself in some complicated situations, if the route is blocked by some construction or a stalled vehicle, we have a remote team. They connect to the robot to see what is going on around and give the robot comments on how to proceed and that actually helps us to avoid any significant dealings," says Shveyko.

The Austin-based company plans to expand operations to Dallas and Jersey City, New Jersey, later this year.

The robots will operate daily from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.