Your eyes aren't deceiving you — the little delivery robots rolling down Washington DC streets are becoming a more common sight.
Two new personal delivery device companies received permits from the District last month, paving the way for more robot deliveries around the city.
That means there are now three companies operating such devices, with the robots showing up in neighborhoods across the District.
Here's what to know about the robot delivery services.
What are the new robotic delivery companies in DC?
Yes, and you may begin to see more of them after DC issued permits to Serve Robotics and Coco Robotics. They join Robot.com as the personal delivery device companies in operation in DC.
“Personal delivery devices offer an additional option for food delivery in the District and can be an alternative
to trips made by larger vehicles,” said District Department of Transportation Director Sharon Kershbaum said in a statement last month. “We are excited to add this delivery option.”
Coco Robotics calls itself "the world's leading urban robot delivery platform," and it will serve restaurants throughout DC, starting in Logan Circle.
"Customers ordering through participating delivery partners, such as DoorDash, may be matched with Coco's compact robots at checkout," the company says. "When the robot arrives, customers receive a notification and simply unlock the lid through the app to collect their order—no tips or additional fees required."
There are currently 25 Coco delivery devices operating in DC.
The second company that was issued a permit in July — Serve Robotics — also has 25 devices in operation, all around the Dupont Circle area.
Recently, Serve added Grubhub to its delivery network. It already had a partnership with DoorDash.
That means that if you order food from DoorDash, Grubhub or Uber Eats, it could be delivered by a 2-foot-tall robot.
"Every new partner puts more robots to work, and every delivery makes the whole fleet smarter." Ali Kashani, co-founder and CEO of Serve Robotics said in a statement.
The existing personal delivery device company – Robot.com — operates near Howard University and George Washington University.
Each company may occupy zones up to 1 square mile during its first three months of operation.
Shawn Townsend, President & CEO of Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, said the new delivery option "can help restaurants reach more customers with reliable, affordable, traffic-free deliveries while allowing staff to stay focused on their core business.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Which robot delivery companies are operating in Washington DC now?
