Expanding Access to Fresh Food - One Robot at a Time
The Food Desert Crisis in the USA
Across the United States, more than 52 million people — about 1 in 6 Americans — live in communities where accessing fresh, affordable groceries is a daily challenge. These are places where full-service supermarkets are sparse, and reliable transportation is limited or nonexistent.
From major metro areas like Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Philadelphia to rural towns and tribal communities, the pattern is widespread. Getting groceries often means navigating long distances, making multiple bus transfers, or walking miles with heavy bags. In many areas, a simple grocery trip can take over two hours on public transit — if any transit is available at all.
This isn’t just about convenience. It’s a nationwide barrier to better health, household stability, and economic opportunity, affecting tens of millions of Americans every single day.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), these areas are often low-income, and transportation challenges make things worse. When the nearest full-service grocery store is miles away, and public transit is limited or nonexistent, how do people carry home fresh food on a regular basis?
Why Access to Fresh Food Matters
In many U.S. communities, the problem isn’t just distance it’s the lack of reliable access to fresh, nutritious food. Convenience stores and fast food chains often outnumber full-service grocery stores, driving up rates of diet-related illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.
For millions, especially seniors, people with disabilities, and families balancing multiple jobs, a simple grocery trip can become an hours-long challenge involving bus transfers or long walks with heavy bags.
While governments and nonprofits have tried to close the gap, progress is often slow and hard to scale. A more immediate solution may be bringing groceries directly to people’s doors efficiently, affordably, and without the need for a car.
Introducing Autonomous Delivery Robots
Intermode’s autonomous delivery robots are compact, electric vehicles that deliver full grocery orders from local stores to homes, no car or driver needed.
Whether serving city blocks or rural roads, these robots expand grocery access while cutting emissions.
Built for Real-World Distances
Unlike traditional sidewalk bots limited to short, slow trips, Intermode’s robots are designed for scale:
How the Technology Works
Intermode’s delivery robots are built for safety, reliability, and performance. Each robot can carry up to 250 pounds of groceries, handling a full household order with ease. Designed for sidewalks and neighborhood streets, they include redundant safety systems, obstacle detection, and the ability to stop instantly if anything crosses their path, keeping people, pets, and property safe.
Because they avoid road traffic and don’t rely on human drivers, these robots offer a quiet, efficient way to deliver groceries directly from stores to customers’ homes, no cars, no emissions, and no stress.
A Smarter Way Forward
Intermode’s delivery robots are more than just a technological innovation; they represent a platform for healthier communities, environmental progress, and economic opportunity nationwide.
By bringing groceries directly to people’s doorsteps, regardless of location, we can help close the gap in food access and build stronger, more resilient communities, one delivery at a time.
Sources:
Healthy Food Access | National Equity Atlas
Good Food Access for Families and Communities
Food Deserts in the U.S. | The Society Pages, Sociological Images
