Autonomous sidewalk delivery robots from Starship Technologies, Nuro, and Amazon Scout now operate in over 150 US cities, completing approximately 2 million deliveries per month.
The robots handle primarily food delivery and small parcel logistics. Customer satisfaction rates average 4.6/5, driven by consistent delivery times (average 22 minutes) and the absence of tipping pressure.
The economic model has become viable. Delivery cost per order has fallen to $1.80, compared to $5-8 for human delivery drivers. This has made autonomous delivery particularly attractive for restaurant and grocery orders under $30.
Regulatory challenges persist. Five states have banned sidewalk delivery robots entirely, citing pedestrian safety concerns and accessibility issues for wheelchair users.