Deliveroo to Launch Autonomous Robot Deliveries in Five UK Cities

Deliveroo has announced the upcoming launch of autonomous robot deliveries in the UK, starting in London's Canary Wharf this October. In partnership with Coco Robotics, the company will deploy fully-electric, four-wheeled robots equipped with AI and sensors to navigate public streets at walking pace. Initially serving select restaurants, the service is slated to expand to Milton Keynes, Leeds, Stockton-on-Tees, and Nottingham in the coming months. While the move marks a significant step toward automation, Deliveroo emphasized that the majority of orders will continue to be fulfilled by human riders. Beyond delivery, the robots are designed to improve urban accessibility by sharing real-time pavement hazard data with the BlindSquare navigation app. This initiative follows similar global experiments by parent company DoorDash and reflects a broader trend of integrating autonomous vehicles into last-mile delivery logistics, despite ongoing debates regarding sidewalk congestion and the future of human labor in the gig economy.