Sidewalk delivery robots face vandalism and privacy concerns

In short: Small food delivery robots are spreading in U.S. cities, and some are being vandalized while others raise worries about sidewalk access and camera data.

What's going on

Reports describe delivery robots being kicked, tipped over, sat on, and defaced. In Philadelphia, an Uber Eats delivery robot operated by Avride was kicked and knocked over in Center City. Another robot was reportedly sat on and marked with the words “DESTROY ME PLZ.”

Similar incidents have been reported in Los Angeles, including robots being damaged or having their food compartments tampered with. Police in Philadelphia said vandalism could lead to criminal mischief charges, depending on the damage and circumstances.

Companies say these cases are not the norm. Serve Robotics’ CEO said there were 11 incomplete deliveries in a sample of 10,000, for multiple reasons, not only human interference. Starship’s CEO said it has recorded no robot thefts across more than nine million deliveries. These numbers come from the companies and are not independent counts of all problems.

What to watch

Some objections are not about vandalism at all. People complain that robots can take up space on narrow sidewalks and block pedestrians, including wheelchair users. Cities and companies also face questions about responsibility if a robot causes an accident or blocks a route.

Privacy is another concern because these robots use cameras and other sensors to navigate (like a phone using its camera to understand what is in front of it). A camera on a robot does not automatically mean the operator is identifying people or saving video forever, but policies vary. Some reporting has noted that certain delivery-robot companies have provided footage to law enforcement, which is why clear rules on what is recorded, how long it is kept, and who can access it matter.

Source: NYTimes