Uber has announced plans to launch automatic robot deliveries, made in partnership with Starship Technologies in December.

The delivery robots will first launch in Leeds and will have the capability to complete deliveries in less than 30 minutes for distances up to 3.2 km.

The move aims to improve the delivery experience for customers, with the delivery robots set to be phased out in Europe next year.

Starship’s AI-powered robots have already fulfilled over 9m deliveries across seven different countries.

Ahti Heinla, co-founder and CEO of Starship Technologies said: “Together, we’re building the infrastructure that will define the next generation of urban logistics.

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“Uber Eats has built the world’s leading delivery platform, with the widest reach, trusted by millions across 10,000 cities. We bring scalable autonomous technology that works profitably at city scale.”

Sarfraz Maredia, global head of autonomous at Uber, added: “Autonomous delivery is an exciting part of how we see the future of Uber Eats. Together with Starship, we’re bringing this future to life across multiple continents, leveraging Uber’s global scale and Starship’s proven autonomy to deliver efficient and affordable experiences for consumers and merchants everywhere.”

The move follows other delivery services in the sector using automated robots to enhance efficiency, with Just Eat Takeaway trialling AI-powered robots in Europe.

Additionally, convenience retailer Co-op expanded its autonomous delivery service in 2023.