Uber Eats is launching two autonomous delivery pilots in Los Angeles with Serve Robotics and Motional.
The programs—set for an official reveal at today's Go/Get 2022 global product event—will bring robotic sidewalk and autonomous vehicle deliveries to the largest city in California.
Teased in December, the Motional partnership marks Uber's first collaboration with an AV fleet provider, as well as Motional's first foray into deliveries (having previously focused on robotaxis). Serve Robotics, meanwhile, is an Uber spinout company.
Both pilots kick off this week with small food deliveries from a handful of local merchants, including organic cafe and juicery Kreation, Uber told TechCrunch. Serve's robots will initially focus on shorter trips around West Hollywood, while the Motional cars handle long-distance deliveries in Santa Monica.
As per California rules for testing autonomous cars, a human safety operator will be inside Motional's vehicles, even manually driving "when near customers' drop-off locations, as needed," an Uber spokesperson explained.
Eligible customers will see an option at checkout to have food delivered by autonomous vehicle; opt in to track the package and receive a notification to meet the AV outside. You'll also receive a passcode to unlock Serve's robot or a Motional car and grab your grub.
"We'll be able to learn from both of those pilots what customers actually want, what merchants actually want and what makes sense for delivery as we start to integrate our platform with AV companies," Uber said. "The hope is that they're successful and that we learn over the coming months, and then figure out how to scale."