Is This Terrifying or Tantalizing? New Delivery Robots in Austin

If you find yourself walking around downtown Austin, there’s a good chance you might think you accidentally walked onto the set of a sci-fi movie. Avride, an autonomous vehicle company based out of Austin, announced that they would begin a sidewalk delivery service with robots at the beginning of this week. The service will be available downtown between Cesar Chavez and 15th streets and I-35 and West Avenue. 

You can opt out of having the soulless machines deliver your order if the restaurant you order from is participating in the cyborg-delivery service, and you may instead choose to use the traditional method of having a living, breathing person deliver your food. However, for those who embrace the convenience of cutting-edge technology, these autonomous robots will quickly become a part of their daily lives.  

If, after watching every movie about dystopian futures and the rise of the machines, you still decide to order from Avride, getting your order is pretty easy. Once the robot arrives, you just tap "unlock" in the Uber Eats app, and the robot's hatch will open to allow access to your food. You will have 10 minutes to retrieve your food once the robot arrives at your location. 

After the robots begin their takeover in Austin, the service will soon expand to Dallas, TX and Jersey City, NJ, marking a growing trend in delivery automation that’s likely to become more common across urban centers. It's clear that the future of food delivery may involve less human interaction and more interaction with robots on the go.