The company describes the robots as "the future of delivery," which are designed to offer a contactless, streamlined way to move meals from restaurants to customers in minutes.
At Carters Cheesesteaks by Garci in Chinatown, one of more than a dozen restaurants partnering with Uber Eats for the pilot, owner Garci Peterkin said the technology aligns with his priorities.
"Anything that is better for the customer is better for me," he said.
Megan Jensen of Uber said the company is starting with a limited group of restaurants for the rollout and sees strong potential in dense cities.
"Where sometimes traffic and congestion can be a problem, parking can be difficult, and so these sidewalk robots provide nice relief for parking pressures," she said.
The robots are operated through Avride, an autonomous technology company.
The bots use satellite connections similar to GPS.
Sensors help them navigate sidewalks while avoiding pedestrians and vehicles.
"It has a LIDAR at the top that's almost like the robot's brain in a sense, and it kind of works together with other sensors on the robot's radar, and then also cameras that allow the robot to really sense and see the world around it," Jensen explained.
Powered by lithium batteries, the robots can run for about 12 hours per charge.
Customers can opt in to autonomous delivery through the Uber Eats app, where they can track the robot as it travels to the restaurant and then to their home.
"So you're able to see it get to the restaurant, picking up your order, and then also watch it navigate to you as well," Jensen said.
When the robot arrives, customers receive a notification and unlock the insulated compartment by scanning their phone.
One added benefit, Uber says:
"You don't tip the robot, so any tip that is added won't be charged."
For now, the autonomous deliveries are limited to select areas of Center City between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Uber Eats says current autonomous delivery boundaries are south of Race Street and north of Spruce Street, and east of S. 18th Street and west of S. Front Street.
The company plans to expand the service with more restaurants and additional robots in the coming months.