Delivery robots expand despite safety, accessibility and regulation complaints

The concept began in Estonia in 2014, when Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis started Starship Technologies. The small project grew sharply during the pandemic. Starship is no longer alone: Serve Robotics, Coco Robotics and Delivers.AI also operate in the sector, and DoorDash has launched its own in-house robots, according to Engadget.

Most companies have moved away from remote human drivers controlling every step and now rely on autonomous robots that combine cameras, sensors and GPS to navigate. Human supervisors intervene only when necessary, the report said. That approach can fail when the environment differs from mapped expectations. Broken sidewalks and unexpected construction can confuse navigation, leading to stalled robots or damage to public property. Engadget cited an instance in Chicago in which a delivery robot destroyed a bus stop.

Pedestrians bear many of the consequences. Some conflicts are minor, such as robots interfering with restaurants that have outdoor seating or crowded businesses spilling onto sidewalks. Other cases are more serious. Although robots are in theory supposed to stop for pedestrians, there have been multiple reports of people having to move out of the way for the machines. The issue is particularly acute for people with limited mobility or those using wheelchairs, and a robot occupying a sidewalk may violate accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the report. There have also been injuries. A man in New Jersey suffered a broken shoulder and a head injury after a delivery robot hit his bicycle, Engadget reported, and that was not the only instance of robot-caused harm.

The robot delivery market is nonetheless expected to keep growing. A recent study by Transforma Insights estimated that the world will have 559,000 automated urban delivery vehicles by 2035, up from 28,000 in 2025, according to Engadget. That expansion could have a significant effect on gig workers. For companies such as Uber Eats and DoorDash, both of which have faced scrutiny over driver pay, robots offer a way to increase overall profits. Current robot models have distance limitations of about two miles, however, which tends to restrict their use to more urban areas. For now, that means humans cannot be completely removed from the equation.

Regulation remains uneven. Many areas have nothing in place to limit robot usage, and in more than 20 states personal delivery devices are considered pedestrians, the report said. That is beginning to change. Major cities including Chicago, San Francisco and Toronto have enacted restrictions or outright bans on delivery bots, and other cities may follow. Because the robots use cameras, they have also faced increased scrutiny from regulators over privacy concerns, which could lead to more legislation. Delivery robots may become an accepted part of urban life, but the problems they create are likely to persist until rules catch up.

Editor's Summary

Delivery robots have expanded to more than 80 cities in North America, Europe and Asia, but autonomous sidewalk fleets have been linked to blocked paths, property damage and injuries. Companies and regulators face growing pressure to address accessibility, safety and privacy as projections point to rapid growth by 2035.