Latest news with #deliveryrobots
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Orwellian clip shows dystopian robot horror that has become new normal in crime-plagued Los Angeles
Los Angeles is now so rough tech companies are buying dummies to use as fake homeless people while testing their new delivery robots. The wheeled devices have been filmed maneuvering past mannequins sprawled on the City of Angels' grimy sidewalks while being tested by food delivery firm Serve Robotics. In the latest footage, a stunned witness shared a clip of the device after catching Serve Robotics engineers testing their device on the sidewalk. But the witness quickly realized the dummies were a good idea - because in real life the little robots will regularly have to maneuver LA's thousands of vagrants. 'My mind went straight to, yeah they better learn how to dodge all that,' he said. 'It's more important to be safe and go around and dodge lawsuits.' The footage circulated across social media as people were left in awe at what passes for normal in LA in 2025. I seriously can't believe this is real Tech workers are out testing and training delivery robots in Los Angeles California to avoid homeless people on sidewalks Tech worker 'testing in progress' with homeless dummies setup for the testing And Gavin Newsom wants to be President — Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) July 16, 2025 After the clip went viral on X, users mocked California's Democrat leaders for allowing the state to require homeless-dodging robots. 'Instead of (Governor Gavin) Newsom and (LA Mayor Karen) Bass addressing California's homelessness crisis, they're spending money on teaching robots to simply go around,' one X user remarked. 'It's like patching a leaky roof by redirecting the rain rather than fixing the hole.' Another said: 'Instead of cleaning up the homeless situation, we've decided to get a robot that goes around them. Whose brilliant idea was this? Newsom or Bass?' A third joked: 'Why do people watch dystopia movies? Bro just move to California.' California has emerged as the homelessness capital of America in recent years, with many flocking from across the country to enjoy its lenient policies and warm weather. In a shock report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 2024, it was found that the number of homeless people in California increased by over 30,000 in just five years. While California struggles with 187,084 homeless individuals, New York follows with 158,019, then Washington with 31,554, and Florida with 31,362. Between 2021 and 2022, California spent a staggering $7.2 billion on its homeless population, according to a HUD report from 2022. This equates to $41,000 per vagrant, with the total spent on homelessness in the state over a five-year span reaching over $24 billion.
Fox News
03-07-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Robots are taking over Uber Eats deliveries. Is your city next?
If you've ordered food on Uber Eats recently, you may have seen a delivery robot instead of a human driver. Uber has partnered with Avride to bring autonomous robots to the streets. They already operate in several U.S. cities, and your area could be next. Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my Uber Eats uses compact, four-wheeled robots to handle the final stretch of food delivery. These delivery robots are about the size of a carry-on suitcase and can move along sidewalks at speeds of up to five miles per hour. Each robot carries up to 55 pounds of food or drinks, including large pizza orders and bottles. With features like LIDAR, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors, the robots can detect obstacles from 200 feet away. They recognize traffic lights and navigate crowded sidewalks with ease. These robots work around the clock. Rain or shine, they keep moving. Their secure cargo compartments open only when the customer unlocks them through the Uber Eats app. With swappable batteries and up to 12 hours of life, they're built for constant service. Right now, Uber Eats robot delivery is live in multiple U.S. cities. Austin, Texas, was the first to launch the sidewalk robot program. Dallas will join soon. In New Jersey, Jersey City has already rolled out the robots in neighborhoods like Hamilton Park, Historic Downtown, and the Waterfront. Some cities in Ohio are also part of the program. Uber and Avride plan to deploy hundreds of delivery robots by the end of 2025. That makes it likely your city will see them soon. If you live in a participating city, you might get the option to choose a robot during checkout in the Uber Eats app. Once selected, the app dispatches a delivery robot to your location. You'll get a notification when the robot arrives. Use the app to unlock the secure compartment and collect your order. These robots deliver more than just meals, they can handle groceries and small packages too. Uber Eats serves over 31 million active users in the U.S. The company is always looking for faster, safer, and more affordable ways to deliver food. Robots provide exactly that. They aren't delayed by traffic, don't rely on drivers, and perform well on short trips in urban areas. These delivery robots help reduce fees, increase reliability, and boost safety. Thanks to their sensors and programmed traffic rules, they navigate cities efficiently. Uber Eats serves over 31 million active users in the U.S. The company is always looking for faster, safer, and more affordable ways to deliver food. Robots provide exactly that. They aren't delayed by traffic, don't rely on drivers, and perform well on short trips in urban areas. These delivery robots help reduce fees, increase reliability, and boost safety. Thanks to their sensors and programmed traffic rules, they navigate cities efficiently. Uber Eats delivery robots are designed with privacy in mind. They do not store personal information such as payment details or delivery addresses. The only data they process is the pickup and delivery locations, which are not tied to any personal details. Sensor data collected by the robots is anonymized and used solely to improve the technology. Additionally, the robots' cameras blur faces and license plates to further protect privacy. Uber and Avride are scaling up their operations quickly, with plans to roll out hundreds of delivery robots in more U.S. cities by the end of the year. If you are interested in seeing robot deliveries in your area, Uber Eats encourages customers to reach out and express their interest. The company evaluates requests and considers expanding services based on demand and feasibility. It is remarkable to see how quickly delivery robots are becoming an integral part of everyday life in cities across the country. Whether you're someone who loves trying out new technology or you just want your food to arrive reliably, these robots are designed to make things easier and safer for everyone. With Uber Eats and Avride adding more robots every month, it is only a matter of time before you spot one rolling up to your door with your next order. If a robot rolled up to your door with your next Uber Eats order, how would you feel about it? Would you be excited to try out this new tech, or do you still prefer having a human delivery driver bring your food? Let us know by writing to us at Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Wall Street Journal
25-06-2025
- Science
- Wall Street Journal
Out On the Streets, It's Every Food Robot for Itself
The future of human-robot relations is playing out on city streets and college campuses, and it's looking a bit scary—for the robots. Tasked with delivering late-night pizza and snacks to the couchbound, robots are getting stuck in snow piles or flipped on their backs, and sometimes relying on the kindness of human strangers to get back on track.
Bloomberg
20-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Robot Delivery Service Plans US and Europe Expansion
Coco Robotics, the maker of cooler-sized delivery robots, has raised $80 million in its latest funding round to improve the technology and expand to new cities. CEO Zach Rash discusses how the service has been performing in L.A., Helsinki, and other cities with Caroline Hyde on 'Bloomberg Tech.' (Source: Bloomberg)
TechCrunch
11-06-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Sam Altman-backed Coco Robotics raises $80M
In Brief Los Angeles-based Coco Robotics, a startup building last-mile delivery robots, announced it raised $80 million on Wednesday. The funding round included angel investors Sam Altman and Max Altman, both returning investors, in addition to VC firms like Pelion Venture Partners and Offline Ventures, among others. This brings the company's total funding to more than $120 million. The company last raised a $36 million Series A round in 2021. Coco's zero-emissions robots can hold 90 liters worth of groceries or goods and have made more than 500,000 deliveries since they hit the streets in 2020, the company said. It says it works with national retailers including Subway, Wingstop and Jack in the Box. Sam Altman's financial interest in Coco is clear. While he's personally providing capital to the company, OpenAI apparently gets a benefit too. Coco announced a partnership with OpenAI in March which allows Coco to use OpenAI while the AI company gains the real-world data the robots collect to train its models. The company was founded in 2020 by Brad Squicciarini and Zach Rash. TechCrunch reached out to Coco for more information.
