RobotS will soon be delivering takeaways in Sheffield’s busiest neighbourhoods.

The autonomous machines, which run on six wheels, were seen trundling along Argyle Road, Meersbrook, earlier in the month, in a fairly surreal sighting for passers by.

However, the CEO and Co-founder of Starship Ahti Heinla says he expects the machines to soon become ‘just another normal part of the day’ for residents in Sheffield.

He explained: "Starship robots have been a much-loved part of daily life for communities across the UK since 2018: picking up shopping, dropping off essentials, there when people need them. Cutting out the short car trips that add up, our robots have already saved over 500,000 kg of emissions across Europe. We're proud to bring that everyday convenience to 50 000 people in Sheffield, making robot deliveries just another normal part of the day."

Starship Technologies are already popular in cities across the UK, having completed over nine million deliveries worldwide.

They have been delivering in parts of Leeds since 2022, when a partnership with Co-op began. Since then Starship has also teamed up with Uber Eats, in a move which could spell the end for a number of manned delivery services in the years to come.

Sarfraz Maredia, global head of autonomous at Uber, said via BBC News: "Technology is always going to change the jobs in the market, even if you go 100 years back to looms. It's always going to be a factor.

"I don't think it's a reason to not embrace change, but you do have to make sure there are jobs for people to go to."

Robot vehicles are hoping to bring unexpected joy to people's doorsteps by treating them to a jingle when they complete a delivery. | Hope and Glory PR

placeholder image — Robot vehicles are hoping to bring unexpected joy to people's doorsteps by treating them to a jingle when they complete a delivery. | Hope and Glory PR

Starship robots are likely to become a more common sight around the streets of Sheffield in the weeks and months to come, and in an effort to celebrate the launch, as part of partnership with the Sheffield Music Hub, they’ve launched a competition asking the public to submit a 15-30 second jingle that the bots will play for customers.

"We’ve already proven that robots are a key part of the future of efficient, high-tech delivery," said Merve Basci, General Manager of Uber Eats in the UK.

"Now, we want to see if they can hold a tune. This moment is about more than just innovation; it’s about bringing a bit of unexpected joy to our customers’ doorsteps. Whether it’s a power ballad or a catchy hit, we’re letting the nation compose the soundtrack to their next takeaway."

Anyone can enter by emailing their tune to [email protected] with a short description of why they deserve the win, with the winner receiving £3,000 and a year of Uber Eats credit. The Competition is open to all UK residents aged 18 years or over