Too often, delivery robots just don't understand the rules of the road.
Some are charmed by their anthropomorphized faces and see a cute little guy doing their job, while others feel instant annoyance at what's come to be known as a "clanker" in their path.
The concept of delivery robots first began in Estonia in 2014, when Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis started Starship Technologies.
Some issues are more of an annoyance, like robots interfering with restaurants with outdoor seating or other crowded businesses that spill onto the sidewalk.
A recent study by Transforma Insights suggests that the world will have 559,000 automated urban delivery vehicles by 2035, compared to 28,000 in 2025.
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Too often, delivery robots just don't understand the rules of the road.
People tend to have two distinct reactions upon seeing a robot delivery driver scurrying down the sidewalk. Some are charmed by their anthropomorphized faces and see a cute little guy doing their job, while others feel instant annoyance at what's come to be known as a "clanker" in their path. Regardless of your gut reaction, they've become a large part of the delivery landscape in several countries.
The concept of delivery robots first began in Estonia in 2014, when Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis started Starship Technologies. What was at first a small project saw a boom during the pandemic; the company now operates in over 80 cities across North America, Europe and Asia.
Though some robot delivery companies like Coco used to rely on remote human drivers every step of the way, almost every company in the space has shifted to autonomous robots that use a combination of camera, sensors and GPS to navigate, with human supervisors only stepping in when necessary.
Some issues are more of an annoyance, like robots interfering with restaurants with outdoor seating or other crowded businesses that spill onto the sidewalk. A man in New Jersey suffered a broken shoulder and head injury after a delivery bot hit his bike, and that's not the only instance of robot-caused harm.
A recent study by Transforma Insights suggests that the world will have 559,000 automated urban delivery vehicles by 2035, compared to 28,000 in 2025.
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