In the suburban sprawl north of Toronto, something peculiar has begun rolling along sidewalks and crosswalks of Markham. Six-wheeled autonomous robots, resembling sleek white coolers on wheels, navigate pedestrian pathways delivering hot meals to residents.
SkipTheDishes, in partnership with robotics firm Serve Robotics, launched these autonomous food couriers last week following a six-month pilot program. The initial deployment includes 25 delivery robots operating within a 3-kilometer radius of Markham’s bustling Downtown Markham district.
“We’ve seen delivery times improve by approximately 17 minutes during peak periods,” explains Javier Costa, VP of Automation at SkipTheDishes. “The robots don’t get stuck in traffic, they don’t circle looking for parking, and they’re indifferent to weather conditions that might deter human couriers.”
The robots, equipped with an array of cameras, lidar sensors, and GPS navigation, travel at a modest 5 km/h. They carry insulated compartments that keep food at appropriate temperatures. When reaching their destination, customers receive a text message with a unique code to unlock the secure food compartment.
But not everyone is enthusiastic about the mechanized messengers.
“I nearly tripped over one last night walking my dog,” says Markham resident Priya Laghari. “They’re silent, and at night they can be hard to spot even with their lights. I’m concerned about accessibility for people with mobility issues.”
City officials have been proactive in addressing such concerns. Markham’s council approved the program with specific regulations around operating hours (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.), speed limits, and mandatory yield-to-pedestrian programming.
“These robots represent an opportunity to reduce congestion and emissions while creating a new type of infrastructure,” says Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “But we’re moving cautiously, with safety as our priority.”
The six-month pilot showed promising results. The robots completed over 12,000 deliveries with zero reported accidents and a 97% on-time delivery rate. Customer satisfaction ratings averaged 4.8 out of 5 stars, according to data provided by SkipTheDishes.
Economic impacts remain complex. While the technology reduces delivery costs by approximately 30%, according to SkipTheDishes, concerns about job displacement loom. The company maintains that robots will supplement rather than replace human couriers, especially for longer-distance deliveries.
“These robots handle the short-range, small-order deliveries that are least profitable for human couriers,” Costa explains. “Meanwhile, we’ve actually increased human courier hiring by 8% year-over-year to handle our growing order volume.”
The robotics initiative has created 18 new technical jobs in Markham – primarily for robot handlers who monitor operations and step in if robots encounter problems they can’t solve autonomously.
Environmental benefits appear substantial. Each robot replaces approximately 2.5 car-based deliveries per hour, potentially reducing carbon emissions by nearly 2,000 metric tons annually if the program reaches its projected scale.
Local businesses report mixed reactions. Amir Khoshnevisan, owner of Persian Palace restaurant in Downtown Markham, has seen a 23% increase in lunchtime orders since joining the robot delivery program.
“Office workers love it. They can get food delivered precisely when they want without tipping. We’re doing more volume with faster turnaround,” Khoshnevisan says.
Other restaurants express concerns about customer experience. “When there’s an issue with an order, there’s no human courier to communicate with,” notes Jenny Wu, manager at Golden Dumpling House. “Sometimes the app support can’t resolve problems quickly enough.”
Regulatory questions remain. While Markham approved the pilot, broader provincial frameworks for autonomous delivery vehicles remain underdeveloped. The robots currently operate in legal gray areas, classified neither as vehicles nor pedestrians.
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has formed a working group to develop provincial standards, with recommendations expected by year’s end. Meanwhile, other GTA municipalities are watching Markham’s experience closely.
“We’ve had inquiries from Mississauga, Richmond Hill, and Vaughan,” Costa confirms. “But we’re focused on getting Markham right before expanding.”
The robots themselves continue learning. Each unit collects approximately 20 gigabytes of environmental data daily, continuously improving navigation through machine learning algorithms. The system automatically routes around construction zones, closed sidewalks, or areas with temporary obstacles.
For now, the white robots rolling through Markham represent a tentative first step toward reimagining urban delivery infrastructure. Whether they become permanent fixtures or technological curiosities remains to be seen.
“Five years ago, the idea of autonomous robots delivering your pad thai seemed like science fiction,” Costa reflects. “Today in Markham, it’s just Tuesday night dinner.”
