Autonomous food delivery robots could soon become a familiar sight in Prague’s Karlín district.

City officials confirmed that the Prague 8 Culture Committee has discussed the plan and is preparing for a pilot project.

Fitted with cameras and ultrasonic sensors, they can detect pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchairs, and strollers. Their speed is capped at 8 km/h—roughly the pace of a brisk walk—ensuring safe movement on sidewalks. In practice, they travel at about 3–4 km/h.

If a robot encounters a situation it cannot resolve, such as an obstructed crossing, it connects immediately with a remote human operator. The vehicles are programmed to move only along pre-defined sidewalks and crosswalks, obeying traffic lights.

Czech law classifies the machines as “pedestrians,” making their operation on sidewalks legal. The first stage of the project is planned for the area around Thámova Street, though no launch date has been set.

The robots’ chassis allows them to navigate curbs and minor obstacles, and they are designed to function in rain or snow. Each unit is equipped with 12 cameras and a 360° sensor system, providing constant awareness of its surroundings.

Robot Deliveries Around the World

Robot couriers are not a futuristic experiment anymore—they are already part of daily life in several countries.

Estonia-based company Starship Technologies has deployed thousands of sidewalk delivery robots in cities such as Tallinn, London, and Washington, D.C.. These compact machines deliver groceries, coffee, and takeaway meals, and have collectively completed millions of orders since their launch in 2014.

In the United States, Grubhub has partnered with Starship to serve university campuses, where students order food through an app and have it delivered within minutes. The model works well in controlled environments, such as campuses or business parks, where pedestrian and vehicle traffic is predictable.

China has also embraced the technology at scale. Companies like Meituan and JD.com deploy delivery robots in several large cities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these machines proved particularly useful by bringing food and medicine to quarantined neighborhoods without human contact.

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