Building on a successful pilot of autonomous deliveries in Miami, Florida, Uber Technologies, Inc. UBER and Cartken, an AI-powered robotics company, today announced an expansion of their partnership to include food deliveries via automated robots in Fairfax, Virginia. Uber Eats consumers at Mosaic District will have the opportunity to have orders delivered by Cartken's self-driving robot.
Starting today, Uber and Cartken will begin operating with select merchants at Mosaic District, a shopping and dining district owned and operated by EDENS. At launch, merchants like Our Mom Eugenia, Pupatella, and RASA, will participate in the program.
"Our team at Cartken is excited to further partner with Uber Eats and expand our reach to serve the Fairfax community," shared Anjali Jindal Naik, Co-Founder and COO at Cartken. "Cartken is at an inflection point, where we are rapidly bringing our AI, computer vision, and lidar-less autonomous robots to more places, like Mosaic District, in partnership with Uber Eats."
Uber's expanded partnership with Cartken marks another milestone in both companies' mission to use autonomous technology to unlock greater innovation for consumers and merchant partners in Fairfax and beyond.
"Alongside our partners at Cartken, we're thrilled to work with Mosaic's outstanding merchants to serve such a vibrant community of diners, shoppers, and residents," said Noah Zych, Head of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery at Uber. "With our shared passion for innovative urban design, sustainability, and technology, we believe that robot delivery with Uber Eats is a great fit for Fairfax consumers looking for a fun and convenient way to grab their next meal."
Mosaic is home to more than 40 thriving restaurants, providing Uber and Cartken the opportunity to serve a diverse group of merchants and delight more eaters as the program grows.
"We are excited to partner with Uber Eats and Cartken to bring cutting-edge technology to our community, and confident this innovative service will elevate visitor experience and customer engagement at Mosaic," said Greg Dercach, Vice President, Property Management for EDENS.
Uber Eats delivers instant access to local commerce, helping people across the world discover restaurants and merchants, order meals, groceries, alcohol, and more at the touch of a button—and get it delivered reliably and quickly. The business leverages Uber's technology and logistics expertise to partner with 890,000 merchants in 11,000+ cities globally.