The AV Delivery Developer Portal enables anyone to call robots from Serve’s delivery fleet. Source: Serve Robotics
Serve Robotics Inc. today launched the AV Delivery Developer Portal, which it said gives developers, businesses, hobbyists, and AI assistants the opportunity to programmatically summon its sidewalk delivery robots. The company said its public application programming interface, or API, allows others to work with its autonomous robot fleet. It also released a sandbox environment where anyone can build and test applications before using them with live robots.
“You shouldn’t have to start a robotics company to build something useful with robots,” stated Ali Kashani, co-founder and CEO of Serve Robotics. “We’ve spent years figuring out how robots can navigate neighborhoods. The people who live and work there will have needs we haven’t thought of. Opening our fleet gives us an opportunity to serve those needs.”
Spun out of Uber in 2021, Serve Robotics designs and operates robots that autonomously navigate complex, human-centric environments. The Redwood City, Calif.-based company said it has deployed more than 2,000 robots across the U.S. and Australia, reaching about 3 million people and supporting delivery for more than 4,000 restaurants.
Earlier this year, Serve acquired hospital service robot provider Diligent Robotics. Serve asserted that it designs its robot hardware and software to work safely in public and private environments at scale.
Serve Robotics opens tech to new robots, developers
Serve Robotics said its mobile robots are intended to make daily errands easy and on-demand delivery affordable and accessible. Businesses can use the robots to transport goods between their offices, and local businesses can expand their delivery footprints without hiring more staffers, the company noted.
Last week, Serve launched Serve Physical AI Services, opening its technology to companies building new types of robots. While the company’s systems have completed hundreds of thousands of deliveries across more than 150 neighborhoods in 20 U.S. cities, they have been available only through third-party delivery partners — until now.
Today, Serve said it “opens the fleet itself to anyone needing affordable and efficient autonomous last-mile delivery.” Developers can build on their existing apps, businesses can add robots into their daily workflows, and AI assistants can carry out tasks in the physical world, it said.
The AV Delivery Developer Portal allows anyone to dispatch those robots with a few lines of code or even an AI agent. “The same robots previously only available through the largest delivery platforms can now power any local delivery,” said Serve Robotics.
Submit your innovation now!Builders can use API and sandbox before live robots
“Building on the fleet works like building on any other API,” claimed Serve Robotics. An application or AI assistant can request a pickup and dropoff, confirm the details, and tracks a robot until the delivery is complete. Serve handles the dispatch, routing, navigation, and remote supervision to ensure a timely, safe, and reliable delivery.
Deliveries are limited to Serve’s active service areas and operating hours, as well as to items that fit within the robot’s cargo compartment.
The sandbox lets developers simulate robots, run delivery workflows, and rehearse edge cases before running real robots. Builders can explore the documentation and sandbox at https://developer.serverobotics.com.
Access to live robots is subject to Serve’s approval. Those who wish to move beyond the sandbox can indicate their interest via the portal, said the company.
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