Exploring the safety of Just Eat robots trial in Sunderland
Written by Aura Stephenson on 5th May 2026
Starship Technologies, a robotics company founded by two Skype co-founders, has launched a fleet of Just Eat delivery robots in Sunderland in a city wide delivery trial. The robots have been roaming the city for two months.
Safety is a big concern that comes to mind when discussing robotics due to the unknown nature and future that robots hold. From movies like Terminator to AI videos being more and more common, the advancements are something that many people are weary of.
Ahti Heinla, Founder and Chief Executive of Starships Technologies, discusses the importance and safety behind their robots:
“Our little robots have been delivering groceries and takeaways to happy customers all over the UK since 2018. They’ve had a really warm welcome in Sunderland, and we think locals will love the quick convenience of our service too.
“Our robots come with tons of benefits to communities. They’re a huge help for busy families and anyone who might have trouble popping out to collect food, such as people with reduced mobility. They’re also sustainable, with each battery-powered journey using as little electricity as it takes to boil a kettle!
“Most importantly, they’re safe – our robots have completed over 9 million deliveries and they safely cross 125,000 roads around the world every day. They’re full of technology which detects vehicles and pedestrians, making sure they can travel around the city easily.”
“We’re proud to be serving Sunderland, making life a little bit easier for customers.”
There are nine different places involved in this trial across Sunderland. Most are in the city centre but Smugglers Coffee is an example of one that is in Pallion.
One of the places that has openly discussed excitement in being a part of the trial is Koji in Sunderland city centre. Peter, the manager of Koji, said when discussing for Starships Technology press:
“At Koji, we are proud to serve those visiting the City Centre, as well as offering delivery to locals via Just Eat. We have no doubt that some of our regulars will enjoy receiving their ramen by robot!”
One person who has been documenting the Just Eat robots online using comedy style content is McTurtle who is a content creator famous for his videos across Sunderland. He has been following the robots around the city and investigating their journeys. He said:
“It started when they first came out. It seemed like everyone was thinking, ‘what is going on here? What are these?’ My first thoughts were that they were some type of spies or police controlled.
“My general opinion is that they take jobs. It is the start of the slow move to robots taking over most jobs.
“I followed one the other day and it took almost two hours to get to the destination. If that was my delivery and I was watching it doing zigzags across the city, I would be mad.”
Moon Quifford is a member of the Sunderland community who has mixed views on the robots and the future they hold within the city. She discusses:
“I first saw them on Tik Tok and was surprised they chose Sunderland to test them out considering how ‘rough’ youth can be around here.
“The electric scooters that are popular in Newcastle were in Sunderland originally too but they had to be removed as too many young teens were vandalising them, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Just Eat robots were next.”
Moon discusses her personal opinion on the robots:
“I think they’re quite cute and can be useful. Maybe they can be quicker than the average delivery driver who might get lost or confused at the satnav.
“I witnessed one waiting at the traffic lights to safely cross the road once too.”
However, there is a fear that the Just Eat robots will take jobs unfairly. Moon said:
“Whilst I was coming home in an Uber, my Uber driver told me about how the entire Uber community dislikes them as they’re taking their jobs.
“I can see their concern, as a lot of people dislike AI for making less jobs available so I can definitely understand both arguments.”
The Starship Technologies robots and their future isn’t fully known but what is known is that they are a bit like marmite, you either love them or hate them.
