Uber Technologies Inc. and startup Serve Robotics Inc. plan to deploy a fleet of up 2,000 delivery robots that will transport restaurant orders to consumers.

The companies detailed the initiative today. The delivery robots will be supplied by San Francisco-based Serve Robotics, a former Uber unit that spun out into an independent startup two years ago. It has since raised $23 million in funding, nearly half of which was provided by Nvidia Corp. through an investment announced last March.

The startup’s robots can reportedly carry up to 50 pounds of merchandise for 25 miles on a single charge. Their compact chassis allows them to travel on sidewalks alongside pedestrians. According to Serve Robotics, its technology provides a more efficient means of carrying out food deliveries than traditional vehicles. 

The startup’s robots are powered by compute devices from Nvidia’s Jetson line of systems on module. Jetson modules integrate a central processing unit, a graphics card, memory and related components into a single circuit board. Each robot also includes a lidar sensor that it uses to map out its environment.

Serve Robotics says that its robots use artificial intelligence to turn sensor data into navigation decisions. Early last year, the startup disclosed that its AI software has achieved what’s known as Level 4 autonomy. That means its robots can operate independently without human input in most driving situations.

The startup’s new partnership with Uber to deploy up to 2,000 delivery robots expands upon a pilot program the companies launched in Los Angeles last year. As part of the program, they put about 100 robots at the disposal of 200 local restaurants. Deliveries have grown more than 30% month-over-month since launch, according to Serve Robotics.

Uber plans to not only plans to deploy more of the startup’s robots but also bring them to additional cities. The companies didn’t go into detail about their expansion roadmap. However, TechCrunch reported that Serve Robotics is weighing to establish a presence in San Jose, Dallas and Vancouver.

“This partnership is a major step toward mass commercialization of robotics for autonomous delivery, and it is a testament to the success of our partnership,” said Serve Robotics co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Ali Kashani.

Uber will make the startup’s robots available to users through its UberEats food delivery service, which processed $15 billion worth of customer orders last quarter. That represents a 8% increase from a year earlier. Uber’s revenue from its food delivery business amounted to $3.1 billion during the quarter.

Image: Serve Robotics