Food robot ban
with robots, even at busy times.
Why is Knoxville set to ban food robots?
Other cities have allowed private companies to deploy the battery-powered and self-driving robots as a sustainable solution to pandemic-era labor shortages. The robots transport packages or food to customers who open them with a unique code.
Delivery robots need to operate on sidewalks, but their sensors force them to stop if something or someone is in their way, which can leave them stuck in crowds and late on deliveries. Early adopters, like tech hubs San Francisco and Toronto, later restricted or banned the robots citing pedestrian safety concerns.
The council’s move to ban the robots rather than approve a pilot program is different from how it treated electric scooters. After a pilot program from 2019 to 2021, city leaders allowed two companies – Bird and Superpedestrian – to deploy electric scooters downtown with rules in place.
The scooters are not supposed to be ridden on sidewalks or left in the way of cars or pedestrians, but they have caused annoyance to some cyclists and drivers.
After discussions with UT leaders, tech companies, city engineers and disability advocates, city staff concluded it would be better to prohibit food robots than open downtown sidewalks to the technology through a pilot program. If the robots are allowed in the future, the city would likely require companies acquire a permit to deploy them.
Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.
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