In London, Deliveroo's delivery robots will also guide blind pedestrians around obstacles

Coco's robots do more than carry meals. Through a partnership with the BlindSquare app, the hazards they spot on pavements will be passed to it in real time. The app can then warn blind and visually impaired pedestrians of obstacles ahead.

Ilkka Pirttimaa, the founder of BlindSquare, lists abandoned electric scooters and temporary roadworks among these obstacles. The information goes straight into his speech-based app.

After Canary Wharf, the service is due to expand to Milton Keynes, Leeds, Stockton on Tees and Nottingham in the coming weeks and months.

According to the site, this is the first time Deliveroo has used autonomous delivery vehicles in the United Kingdom. Most orders will still be delivered by its riders, however. Coco's fully electric robots are designed for short urban distances.