Uber has announced an expansion of its autonomous delivery service in Fairfax, Virginia. Together with AI-powered robotics company Cartken, Uber is now offering food delivery via automated robots in the Mosaic District, a shopping and dining district owned and operated by EDENS.
An Uber Eats car and drone are on exhibit at the Uber Elevate Summit 2019 in Washington, DC June 12, 2019. - Uber said Wednesday it plans to speed up restaurant meal delivery by using drones for its Uber Eats service. For logistical reasons, the drones will not deliver directly to customers but to a safe drop-off location where an Uber Eats driver will complete the order. In the future, Uber hopes to land the drones on parked vehicles located near each delivery location to allow the final delivery by hand.
Self-driving Technology for Food Delivery
Uber and Cartken's collaboration will commence with a limited number of participating merchants, such as Our Mom Eugenia, Pupatella, and RASA.
This strategic partnership marks a noteworthy accomplishment in both companies' pursuit of using self-driving technology to enable more creativity and progress for merchants and customers in Fairfax and beyond.
Cartken's delivery robots have already been tested successfully in Miami, Florida, and are currently used for food and grocery delivery in neighborhoods, campus meal delivery, and curbside pickup.
The team at Cartken is thrilled about the partnership expansion with Uber Eats, and they believe that the company is rapidly bringing its AI, computer vision, and lidar-less autonomous robots to more locations.
The partnership expansion allows Uber and Cartken to offer their services to the Mosaic District, which has over 40 Restaurants, enabling them to cater to a more diverse group of merchants and diners as the program expands.
Fun and Convenient Delivery
The goal of the partnership is to provide a fun and convenient way for consumers to order their next meal while promoting innovative urban design, sustainability, and technology.
"With our shared passion for innovative urban design, sustainability, and technology, we believe that robot delivery with Uber Eats is a great fit for Fairfax consumers looking for a fun and convenient way to grab their next meal," Noah Zych, Head of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery at Uber, said in a press release statement.
According to Greg Dercach, Vice President, Property Management for EDENS, the company is excited to partner with Uber Eats and Cartken to bring cutting-edge technology to their community.
They are confident that this innovative service will elevate visitor experience and customer engagement at Mosaic.
In related news, Uber Health announced that it would begin offering same-day delivery of prescriptions as part of its goal of expanding people's access to healthcare.
According to the company's announcement, Uber Health users, including healthcare providers and health plans, will now be able to manage prescription delivery from any pharmacy within their service area through the same platform used to coordinate patient transportation.
This new launch is expected to expand the range of care solutions that healthcare providers can offer to their patients beyond the clinic setting.
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