Many technologists around the world are arguing that the use of AI technology might spell doom for mankind in the near future. Amidst such concerns of “risk of extinction,” UberEats has made an official statement that it plans to use over 2,000 AI-powered four-wheeled robots for delivery by 2025-26.
The delivery service will be available to customers via the app and will initially be restricted to about 16 cities. It will later expand and be offered in other parts of the United States, if all goes well.
A robotics firm named “Serve” will be working with the delivery giant and is ready to offer over 2,000 self-driving bots capable of carrying over 50 pounds of merchandise. These AI-powered machines can operate for 25 miles on a single charge, allowing them to deliver dozens of orders within a 5-8 hour time span at a speed of 3 miles per hour, even under adverse weather conditions such as heavy rain and snow.
Uber has made it clear that the service will be offered only to customers for whom the service is feasible, and it will be a contactless delivery experience. Customers will be able to open the box only through a passcode sent to their app at the time of delivery. The Serve-manufactured robot will then leave the customer’s premises after taking a picture of the customer along with the order through a camera integrated onto the touch-screen board.
Uber plans to increase the number of Serve Robots once the service gains the much-needed traction in the parcel delivery business. The company is also planning to introduce small-sized robots for the delivery of minor parcels.
The robot’s navigation will rely on Cartken’s artificial intelligence-based mapping technology, which can identify objects, vehicles, humans, and the geography of the location.
