JUST EAT to pioneer food delivery by self­driving delivery robots in London

Customers who order takeaway food using JUST EAT could soon find their food being delivered by robots following the launch of a new trial. The company has partnered with Starship Technologies to trial self­ driving delivery robots in London.

JUST EAT and Starship Technologies’ testing programme is expected to begin within the next few months.

Starship Technologies, established in 2014 by the co­founders of Skype, has developed the robots to deliver food, packages and goods to consumers within a short radius of their point of origin. Customers will be sent a secure code to access their meals from the robots once they arrive.

Commenting on the launch of the trial Amanda Roche Kelly, Managing Director, JUST EAT Ireland said: “Innovation is at the heart of what we do at JUST EAT. In the Irish market, JUST EAT has grown substantially in the last number of years by focusing on mobile. Over 70% of customers now order via the app and on mobile devices. The launch of the new self-driving delivery robot trial in London exemplifies the fact that that the role of technology in helping JUST EAT and the takeaway industry to innovate and grow has only just begun. I look forward to seeing how the trial of the new service goes in London.”

The robots are designed to drive autonomously while being monitored by human operators in control centres who can take over at any time. Introduced to European and American cities since the end of last year, the robots have already driven close to 5,000 miles and met over 400,000 people without a single accident, using cameras, sensors and other technology to navigate their way through urban streets.