Last Update: January 05, 2023, 17:36 IST
In Miami, some food ordered on Uber Eats is being delivered by autonomous robots. (Credits: AFP)
Powered by artificial intelligence, the mobile robots from the Californian company Cartken are adequately equipped with sensors and cameras to avoid collisions and follow the path they are told (on the pavement).
With the restaurant industry still facing labor shortages in the United States, technology may offer a partial solution when it comes to home-delivery services. In Miami, Uber Eats is now using robots to deliver takeout orders to some customers.
Powered by artificial intelligence, the mobile robots from the Californian company Cartken are adequately equipped with sensors and cameras to avoid collisions and follow the path they are told (on the pavement). Equipped with a box that can be opened from above, the robot’s mission is to deliver orders on behalf of its owner. In September, the Oakland-based start-up signed a deal with European delivery giant DPD. But these smaller, fully autonomous vehicles are now entering a very niche area of home delivery, that of the restaurant industry for delivering takeout food orders. Cartken is already a partner of the GrubHub platform, which provides meals to US students on some university campuses. Its robots have now landed in downtown Miami taking orders from Uber Eats. They deliver to customers in a specific area of Florida City in the vicinity of Dadeland, a commercial and residential area located south of downtown. Customers are informed of their arrival and gain access to the interior of the vehicle by unlocking the security system via their smartphone. Two American companies announced that these little robots will soon be seen in other US cities as well.
With this new service, the food delivery giant is ramping up its experimentation with technology as a new way for consumers to place orders. Since May, the US firm has been using autonomous vehicles (from the company Motional) but also autonomous robots (from Seva Robotics) in Los Angeles to fulfill its orders.
These new delivery solutions are useful in many ways. Not only do they relieve traffic congestion, but they could potentially represent an ecological solution compared to standard deliveries made with a motorcycle or an ordinary car. On a societal level, robots and autonomous vehicles can help (partially) offset the labor shortage that is proving to be a huge burden on restaurant owners’ organization and business. According to the organization that represents them in the United States (National Restaurant Association), 60% of managers are having difficulty recruiting. And this is a significant problem in the long run. According to CNN, the growth of the US restaurant market is promising, projected to exceed 14% over the next 10 years. However, the sector may face a serious labor problem, as the US-born workforce is expected to grow by only 10%, suggesting an urgent need for immigrant labor.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)