Deliveroo to launch autonomous delivery robots in five UK cities while keeping human couriers

Deliveroo is set to introduce autonomous delivery robots in five UK sites - Canary Wharf in east London, Milton Keynes, Leeds, Stockton-on-Tees and Nottingham - using four-wheel units equipped with AI navigation from US firm Coco. Chief executive Miki Kuusi stressed that the robots are intended to work alongside human couriers, noting that dense city environments will always need people for deliveries and that a fully robot-only fleet would be inefficient during off-peak times.

The firm is lobbying local councils and the Department for Transport to expand the program beyond the initial locations. Rival services, including Just Eat, are also trialling robot deliveries, while charities such as Living Streets have warned that small wheeled robots could hinder pavement safety for older and disabled pedestrians. Deliveroo has faced criticism over gig-economy labor practices and illegal working claims, but maintains that riders remain self-employed and that it conducts right-to-work checks.