Serving up a taste of robot food delivery

Real Life Robotics, a pioneering robotics and automation company at Velocity, University of Waterloo’s startup incubator, today announces a first-of-its-kind robot-powered delivery partnership with Skip, Canada’s homegrown delivery network.

Through an initial three-month deployment in Markham, Ont., the initiative will pave the way for enhanced innovation within the Canadian delivery ecosystem with the potential to expand across additional Canadian cities.

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Building on a successful trial pilot in March — the first municipally approved sidewalk delivery pilot in Canada — Real Life Robotics and Skip have introduced four supervised delivery robots operating within a two-kilometre radius of participating restaurants on Skip’s network.

“We’re building a modern Canadian robotics company grounded in practicality, not hype. Our mission is simple: save time for people and make local delivery more economically and environmentally sustainable for Canadian families,” said Cameron Waite, CEO of Real Life Robotics.

Skip customers within Markham will be able to select the “Robot Delivery” option when placing an order from participating local restaurants. Deliveries are conducted by supervised robots featuring secure compartments that unlock upon scanning a QR code and entering a unique order code to ensure a secure and quality delivery experience for all customers.

The robots are equipped to carry up to 50 kilograms per delivery and are operational daily between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m., ensuring deliveries are fulfilled in all weather conditions.

“This pilot gives customers in busy urban centres like Markham even more last-mile delivery options, enabling us to explore new technologies in a way that’s safe and accessible, putting the unique needs of each community we serve front and centre,” said Paul Sudarsan, vice president of retail and new verticals at Skip.

“Innovation is core to who we are at Skip – we’re a Canadian tech company built by Canadians for our communities – and our partnership with Real Life Robotics is an exciting step toward shaping the future of delivery.”

In addition to Skip, Real Life Robotics partnered with global robotics platform Robot.com (formerly Kiwibot), which developed the autonomous-capable robots and tele-operation driving, and the Remington Group, which supports smart city integration in Markham.

“We’ve been impressed by the experience and leadership that the Real Life Robotics team has in the Canadian robotics market, and we think Skip is exactly the right innovative player to lead this new era in robotic meal delivery,” said J. Kim Fennell, chief business officer at Robot.com.

Early results of the pilot have proven robots to be an efficient means of delivery, generating lower carbon emissions than traditional delivery methods.

“This is about rethinking last-mile delivery in a way that serves local businesses, supports cities, and gives customers a choice,” said Sharif Virani, head of growth at Real Life Robotics.

“By working hand-in-hand with Skip, we're showing that sidewalk delivery isn't science fiction, it’s a practical tool that can help Canadian merchants innovate and stay competitive.”

The three-month deployment intends to lay the groundwork for potential future expansion of Real Life Robotics’ robot delivery services nationwide. The company plans to expand its delivery efforts to operate as many as 500 robots nationally within three years.

The article was originally published on UWaterloo News.