Rise of Delivery Robots in Moscow
Since about 2019, delivery robots have become increasingly common in Moscow, largely due to the local version of Uber Eats. The Yandex.Eats app, launched by tech giant Yandex, has been made available throughout the city, initially introducing around 20 robots that year.
By 2023, Yandex had increased its fleet, adding 50 third-generation robots. They reported that roughly 87% of orders are completed within 8 to 12 minutes. A Yandex statement indicated that about 15 robots can effectively serve a neighborhood of about 5,000 residents.
What started as a few simple rectangular robots has now exploded into a network of thousands, featuring various types—some quite friendly-looking, while others, like the bipedal robots, can be a bit more unsettling.
This escalation comes at a time when humanoid robots are increasingly spotted across Russia. Yandex is aiming to produce around 1,300 robots each month until 2027, leading to a potential total of 20,000. This strategy seeks to greatly enhance their delivery capabilities while keeping costs manageable.
In tandem, Yandex has also ventured into the development of humanoid robots. Recently, a video surfaced showing a small humanoid robot walking beside a delivery robot, blurring the lines between human and machine. Another recent clip featured a bipedal robot traversing the streets of Moscow with a delivery, oddly stopping to dance with a passerby.
However, despite these advancements, there’s skepticism about the readiness of these autonomous robots for mass production. At a technology exhibition in Moscow, one robot displayed quite a clumsy performance—after waving to an audience, it stumbled and fell face-first, requiring assistance to be removed from the stage. Moments like these raise questions about the current capabilities of these robots.
Still, Yandex remains optimistic, aiming to expand its robot applications into healthcare while refining its delivery systems. The company’s vision includes having humanoid robots handle the packaging and order pickups, followed by wheeled bots transporting those orders to their final human recipients.
