Operations

Charlotte tests remote controlled food and coffee delivery robots

Image courtesy of the city of Charlotte.

June 30, 2022

Residents of Charlotte, North Carolina will enjoy the benefit of having coffee and food delivered by remote controlled robots under a pilot between the city and a local coffee company, according to a press release.

The goal of the two-month pilot is to reduce traffic and carbon emissions.

The city tapped the services of Tiny Mile, a Toronto-based company that has used remote controlled robots for deliveries totaling more than 62,000 miles in Canada. The company selected Charlotte to debut its technology in the U.S.

Tiny Mile will operate five delivery robots in Charlotte. Each robot is remotely controlled by a human navigator, has 360-degree camera views and sensors for safety and security.

Food and coffee for delivery will be supplied by locally-owned Undercurrent Coffee.

"The pilot project will put this concept to the test and determine if it should be expanded to other areas of the city," Malcolm Graham, chair of the city's economic development committee, said in the press release.