'We had to get out of the way': The backlash over delivery robots
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Re: 'We had to get out of the way': The backlash over delivery robots
#2They had these in Berkeley when I was there, my thought was always, why aren't the homeless hunting these for food?
Re: 'We had to get out of the way': The backlash over delivery robots
#3They had these in Berkeley when I was there, my thought was always, why aren't the homeless hunting these for food?
Or salvageable RAM
Re: 'We had to get out of the way': The backlash over delivery robots
#4I have a friend who uses a wheelchair and he hates encountering these things in the wild. I know there's a couple different companies making these things and I'm not sure if they all behave like this, but they take up the whole sidewalk and won't backup or turn to get out of the way.
Instead they just sit there blinking and beeping at my friend, and of course in a wheelchair it's not easy (or safe!) to go over the curb or anything to get around them.
Automated delivery sounds cool at first glance but they probably shouldn't be on the sidewalk if they can't accommodate the humans who also need to get around.
Re: 'We had to get out of the way': The backlash over delivery robots
#5They are motorized vehicles, and as such should not operate on sidewalks or other pedestrian areas.
Re: 'We had to get out of the way': The backlash over delivery robots
#6They are motorized vehicles, and as such should not operate on sidewalks or other pedestrian areas.
True but cyclists have already established a precedent of taking over pedestrian paths without consequence, at least in the CA Bay Area
Re: 'We had to get out of the way': The backlash over delivery robots
#7They are motorized vehicles, and as such should not operate on sidewalks or other pedestrian areas.
Absolutely. Let them fend for themselves in the streets.
Re: 'We had to get out of the way': The backlash over delivery robots
#8They had these in Berkeley when I was there, my thought was always, why aren't the homeless hunting these for food?
Because it's a crime? A major issue for the homeless is not food but shelter and storage.
In this case risk vs reward it crazy low
Re: 'We had to get out of the way': The backlash over delivery robots
#9This article captures the problem exactly. In Miami, there are areas where sidewalks are too narrow for a robot (from Serve Robotics) and a human to share simultaneously, so either the robot or the human goes first. If the human wants to go first, they have to step into the street and walk around the robot. The robot and its operator are never courteous enough to back up.
Which raises the question: why should these robots be prioritized over humans? Why can't they use the streets when there are pedestrians? Why should the SAFETY OF HUMANS be compromised for these profit-seeking corporations and their robots?