Self-driving robots are rolling out in Dallas: Launched by a company called Avride, they'll roll through the sidewalks of downtown Dallas carrying small food deliveries.
Avride, which has been creating self-driving vehicles and robots since 2017, formed a partnership with Uber in October 2024 to expand food delivery with both its sidewalk robots and autonomous robotaxis. So far, more than 160 robots have made over 200,000 deliveries across five countries, including the U.S. and South Korea.
All the cool cities have them including Austin, where Avride robots made their debut in mid-November, delivering food from restaurants in the Mueller district, including Colleen's Kitchen, Rebel Cheese, and Xian Sushi and Noodle.
Now that list includes Dallas, says Avride Head of Communications Yulia Shveyko in an email.
“Starting today, customers can enjoy robot deliveries from participating restaurants in the area, with more locations and restaurants to be added soon,” Shveyko says.
The way it works is that users will place an order through the Uber Eats app, but choose autonomous delivery to have a robot drop off a meal at their doorstep. Users can track the robot’s location just as they would an Uber in the app.
Once it arrives, there’s an “unlock” button in the app that opens the hatch of the robot to access the food inside. Rain or snow doesn’t interrupt service; the little robot is water resistant and designed for any weather.
The hatch that holds the food can accommodate approximately six boxes of pizza and three 1.5 liter bottles or bags of groceries.
Some of the participating restaurants so far include Salsa Limón and Bread Zeppelin. A bonus perk of the service is no tipping is required.
According to a memo from a Dallas assistant city manager, the delivery robots are 35 by 27 by 47 inches, featuring six wheels with a speed of five miles per hour, and carrying up to 44 pounds. They deliver within a two-mile radius.
To make the robots look more "friendly and approachable," they’re designed with a face on an LED screen that can "wink" and change eye expressions and neutral colors.
The next step in Avride’s Uber partnership is debuting robotaxis in Dallas by 2025.