Overview
- Uber Eats confirmed a partnership with Starship Technologies to begin autonomous deliveries to customers in Leeds and Sheffield next month.
- The service will start with orders from select merchants, with Uber indicating more UK locations are expected after the initial launch.
- Starship’s robots operate without on‑board human supervision, navigate using cameras and radars, and can be rated in the Uber Eats app but do not accept tips.
- Typical performance includes speeds just under 4 mph and one‑mile trips completed in about 15 minutes, with customers unlocking the robot via smartphone.
- Starship cites a fleet of more than 2,700 robots and over 9 million deliveries to date and projects surpassing 12,000 robots by 2027, as unions warn of potential courier job losses and local UK rules remain a constraint.