Dubai tests robot food delivery with Yango Group

Yango Group has launched a four-month pilot program for autonomous food delivery robots in Expo City Dubai.

The AI-powered delivery service aims to streamline convenience for residents, employees, and visitors, offering an eco-friendly, contactless solution for last-mile logistics.

During the pilot, the electric, zero-emission robots will deliver meals from selected cafés and restaurants to Expo City’s main office in Al Wasl Plaza. Each robot navigates city streets autonomously, planning routes in real time, avoiding obstacles, yielding to pedestrians, and adapting to conditions like low light or bad weather, all powered by advanced AI and high-definition maps.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Expo City Dubai on this pilot program,” said Nikita Gavrilov, Regional Head of Yango Tech Autonomy. “Its clearly defined zones offer a safe, controlled environment to test autonomous technologies. Our robots represent the future of sustainable, AI-driven last-mile delivery.”

Expo City’s Urban Lab, a city-wide innovation platform, is providing the testbed for this futuristic rollout. Dr. Amy Hochadel, Vice President of Urban Lab said:

Expo City is a living lab for breakthrough technologies. By testing Yango’s autonomous robots, we’re setting new benchmarks for human-centric smart cities.

The pilot program currently operates within Al Wasl 3, where users can order meals via the Expo City Eats app. Orders from four participating restaurants are delivered directly to a designated point in the office.

If successful, the program is expected to expand citywide, enabling full-scale deployment to residents and businesses throughout Expo City.

Yango’s robots could soon become a familiar sight in Dubai’s streets, and a blueprint for urban mobility in smart cities worldwide.