The first time John Roberts saw a delivery robot trundling down the sidewalk on his Chicago street, he was impressed. ‘I actually thought they were kind of neat – it felt futuristic,’ he says. But his attitude changed when, soon after, he was out for a walk with his family. As another robot approached, they found themselves having to dodge it. ‘To us it felt a little off – the fact that we were on the one strip reserved for walking, and we were having to get out of the way,’ says Roberts. ‘I started thinking about what it would be like for us to go for a walk as a family if there were dozens of robots with lights and cameras zipping around.’
The robots – formally known as autonomous urban delivery vehicles – have started appearing on pavements in cities across the US, as well as in the UK, Japan, South Korea and Germany, carrying groceries and fast food using cameras, sensors and GPS. Their operators say they can reliably identify and avoid obstacles, cross streets safely and cut traffic and emissions. But some local authorities and members of the public are less enthusiastic. Bans have been put in place and protests launched.
“Delivery robots face bans and protests in US cities as pedestrians report collisions and obstruction.”
San Francisco has limited the robots to less busy parts of the city. Toronto has prohibited them from sidewalks since 2021. In Chicago, the machines have now been banned from two small areas. Roberts wants them suspended across the entire city until safety tests are carried out and clear rules are set. He has launched a petition calling for this, which has around 4,400 signatures.
People frequently find themselves stepping into the street to get out of the robots’ way, says Roberts. ‘There have been reports of collisions and injuries. I saw one a few days ago where somebody had been struck by one of the robots’ safety flags, which is a little ironic,’ he says. ‘We’ve got reports of robots causing issues with traffic, blocking emergency vehicles because they’re acting erratically at crosswalks.’
Similar concerns have emerged in Glendale, California, where the local council is considering a temporary ban. Councillors say the robots appeared without warning, and at first they didn’t even know which company was supplying them. ‘What triggered the concern and the discussion was a number of factors,’ says Coun Ardy Kassakhian. ‘The increased visibility of the robots in the downtown, and the question about accessibility and pedestrian movement.’