Postmates Wins Approval to Test Serve Delivery Robots in San Francisco
Postmates receives a city permit to operate its Serve autonomous delivery robots in a specific San Francisco neighborhood. The limited trial requires human supervision and operates strictly during weekday daytime hours.
Postmates officially receives permission from San Francisco to test its Serve wheeled delivery robot on city streets. The permit restricts testing to a designated area around Potrero Hill and the Inner Mission, allowing up to three autonomous robots to operate at once at speeds of up to 3 mph.
The trial operates under strict limitations, with deliveries permitted only between 8 AM and 6:30 PM on weekdays. A human attendant stays within 30 feet of the vehicles at all times during operation, ensuring safety as the company navigates the city's regulatory environment.
Postmates unveils Serve last December with an anthropomorphic design that features a lockable cargo container and a screen-based user interface. The company joins a growing competitive field of autonomous delivery bots that includes Starship Technologies and Amazon, utilizing Ouster's lidar technology to navigate city streets.