Customers who order from select Shake Shack restaurants in Los Angeles through Uber Eats may receive their order via Serve Robotics’ innovative autonomous robots.
Announced on August 14, this partnership marks a significant step forward in using automation for food delivery, specifically at select Shake Shack locations in Los Angeles.
Uber’s food delivery branch has been incorporating Serve’s self-driving delivery robots in Los Angeles since 2022 and intends to extend this offering to more areas in the United States.
2,000 AI-driven robos
The partnership with Shake Shack will help Serve Robotics move forward with its ambitious plan to place as many as 2,000 AI-powered sidewalk delivery robots on the Uber platform by 2025.
In numerous sectors, such as restaurants, retail, and other consumer-focused industries, there is a growing trend of incorporating cutting-edge technologies such as robots, drones, and autonomous vehicles to reduce delivery expenses through automation.
This tendency indicates a wider change towards accepting creative methods to fulfill contemporary customers’ needs efficiently.
Uber is investing significantly in self-driving technologies to improve its ride-sharing and food delivery offerings.
This, including collaborations with major corporations like Waymo from Alphabet, demonstrates the widespread belief in the capabilities of self-driving technology.
Robot features
Serve’s self-driving delivery robots are designed to plan the most efficient routes and can be summoned whenever needed.
Serve’s robots have been specifically created to uphold the safety and security of food items while they are being transported, offering a completely contactless delivery alternative. Robotic delivery also increases efficiency and lowers costs.
The robots are fitted with state-of-the-art GPS technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to navigate urban environments safely and efficiently. They can avoid obstacles and provide a seamless delivery experience.
The implementation of all-electric robots in urban areas will play a significant role in reducing noise and congestion caused by traditional delivery methods. Additionally, this innovative approach will contribute to lowering the carbon footprint associated with conventional delivery services.
In the future, Shake Shack’s collaboration with Serve Robotics has the potential to substantially impact the food delivery landscape, especially in urban areas such as Los Angeles and other large cities.
The potential for reducing delivery times, lowering costs, and minimizing carbon footprints could make this technology a game-changer for the industry.
Manufacturing started
On August 13, Serve said that the manufacturing activities commenced on the 2,000-robot fleet deployment following entry into a manufacturing agreement with Magna and an amendment to the lidar supply agreement with Ouster.
The company’s cash position was bolstered by proceeds of a $40 million equity offering and a post-quarter $15 million private placement transaction.
“We are pleased to report another strong quarter, extending our 30-month track record of double-digit month-over-month growth and improvements in key operational metrics,” said Dr. Ali Kashani, Serve’s Co-founder and CEO.
“This quarter, we expanded into Koreatown in Los Angeles, signed important agreements with Magna International and expanded on our supply agreement with Ouster, and appointed our Chief Hardware & Manufacturing Officer to spearhead our fleet expansion efforts. I am particularly pleased to announce that Serve has completed the design of our third-generation robot. Looking ahead, we are focused on executing Serve’s fleet expansion plan to deploy at least 250 additional robots in Los Angeles by the end of Q1 2025. We believe our continued execution of this plan through year end 2025 will position Serve to deploy all 2,000 robots under our Uber Eats agreement, which at full utilization is expected to generate $60 to $80 million in run-rate revenue annually.”
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