Deliveroo begins robot delivery trials in the UK

Deliveroo says its first robot deliveries in the UK will begin in London’s Canary Wharf in October. The company has partnered with Coco Robotics to use its fully electric, four-wheeled robots for some orders.

The robots will travel on public streets at walking pace, using onboard sensors, cameras and AI. At first, orders will be available from Patty & Bun, Signorelli and Beam in Wood Wharf. Deliveroo says more merchants, including Ole & Steen, may join later, but it has not given a date.

After Canary Wharf, Deliveroo plans similar pilot schemes in Milton Keynes, Leeds, Stockton-on-Tees and Nottingham in the coming weeks and months. The company says most orders will continue to be delivered by its rider network.

The robots may also share real-time pavement hazard data with BlindSquare, a GPS navigation app for blind and partially sighted people. BlindSquare founder Ilkka Pirttimaa said the data could include discarded e-scooters and temporary construction hazards.

Deliveroo’s parent company, DoorDash, has partnered with Coco in several cities, according to the report. DoorDash recently announced a delivery drone for Northern California that it says can deliver food in under five minutes. The report also notes that Evri has announced a UK trial of two-legged delivery robots.