Fremont Streets to Get Food Delivery Robot

The robot, named Dot, is an in-house project from DoorDash and is manufactured in Fremont in partnership with local advanced manufacturer Sonic Manufacturing. This initiative is part of Fremont's effort to be a testbed for innovation and support local businesses. The rollout will be gradual, beginning with a pilot program of three robots that will be closely monitored and trained by human operators. If the initial phase is successful, the program could expand to as many as 30 robots operating under remote monitoring. The city has the authority to pause or revoke the permit if any safety or compliance issues arise. Dot utilizes a combination of lidar, radar, and cameras to navigate sidewalks, bike lanes, and streets and can carry a payload of about 30 pounds. Speed limits have been set by the city, with the robots traveling at a maximum of 5 mph on sidewalks, 16 mph in bike lanes, and up to 20 mph on neighborhood streets. The public will have its first opportunity to see the robots during Fremont's 4th Annual Restaurant Week from March 6 to 15, 2026, with the inaugural delivery scheduled for the kickoff event on March 5. The initial service area will include the Downtown, City Center, Centerville, and Irvington areas. While this is a new initiative for Fremont, other Bay Area cities like San Ramon and Concord have already experimented with the robots. The Dot program was first trialed in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Concerns have been raised by community members regarding safety and privacy. A local bike club expressed worries about the robots making sudden stops. The robots are equipped with 360-degree cameras capable of recording, and DoorDash has stated it will work with the city to establish appropriate privacy policies.