Philadelphia’s newest delivery workers are knee-high, boxy, and apparently already getting knocked around. Small delivery robots covered in Avride and Uber Eats logos have been rolling along Center City and Old City sidewalks this week, weaving through crowded walkways as locals snap photos and videos. It did not take long for people to bring up the city’s notorious hitchBOT incident from 2015, and at least one image showed a robot tipped onto its back near a downtown intersection.
Reddit from r/PhiladelphiaEats
Where People Spotted Them
Reddit threads and local social posts flagged a growing list of sightings across Center City and Old City, including near Rittenhouse Square and at 8th and Market and 19th and Market. One user reported seeing a robot flipped on its back at 4th and Arch, as reported by Lehigh Daily. The outlet notes that it is not yet clear how many Avride units are operating in Philadelphia or which neighborhoods are formally included in any service area.
How the Bots Work
The machines are roughly the size of a carry-on suitcase and travel at walking speeds of up to about 5 mph. They can hold around 55 pounds in an insulated compartment and run on a swappable battery that Avride says can cover up to 31 miles, according to TechCrunch. The robots rely on lidar, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors to spot obstacles, and customers in participating areas can track and unlock the bot through the Uber Eats app, TechCrunch reports.
Old Wounds and New Questions
For many Philadelphians, the sight of a little robot on the street comes with baggage. Commenters quickly brought up hitchBOT, the Canadian hitchhiking robot that was vandalized and left beyond repair in the city in 2015, a moment that still colors how some locals greet autonomous machines, as noted by Wired. Beyond the local lore, sidewalk delivery robots have already stirred broader debates about pedestrian safety and accessibility. NPR reports that residents in cities like Chicago have circulated petitions and pressed regulators to lay down ground rules for the bots.
Company Response and Rollout Context
So far, the companies behind the machines are not saying much. Neither Avride nor Uber immediately confirmed a formal Philadelphia deployment when asked, Lehigh Daily reports. The two companies first announced a multiyear partnership in October 2024 to bring Avride robots to the Uber Eats platform, and Avride units have already been used in cities such as Austin, Dallas, and Jersey City, according to an Uber press release…