Yandex has launched its autonomous delivery robot service in Yekaterinburg. The rovers are currently operating in the Oktyabrsky, Chkalovsky, and Leninsky districts, serving six Yandex Lavka darkstores located on streets including Stepana Razina, Vaynera, and Syromolotova.
The company plans to expand the service to the Verkh-Isetsky, Kirovsky, Zheleznodorozhny, and Ordzhonikidzevsky districts. The number of connected darkstores will increase to 20, and the robots will begin fulfilling Yandex Eda orders. External retail partners will also be able to join the delivery network.
The deployed fourth-generation rovers feature six independent wheels, lidar, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors for obstacle detection. Each unit has a 25 kg capacity and a 61-liter cargo hold divided into two sections. Remote operators can intervene in complex traffic situations.
Yandex robots are now active in over ten cities, including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Tyumen. To date, the fleet has completed more than 2 million deliveries. According to VCIOM data, 61% of Yekaterinburg residents are willing to use autonomous delivery services.
