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Amazon Begins Using 'Sidewalk Robots' In Seattle Delivery Tests (fortune.com)
An anonymous reader quotes Fortune:
The future is now: Starting this week, Amazon is testing autonomous package delivery with adorable little robot vehicles in a northern Seattle suburb. Six of the Amazon Scouts, the company announced yesterday, are now delivering packages in Snohomish County in a trial run that complements its existing delivery options... The six-wheeled vehicles are fully electric and will move at "walking pace," for the time being only during daylight hours on weekdays while accompanied by Amazon employees for safety's sake.... [C]onsidering the drone delivery Prime Air program never got off the ground, Amazon Scout already seems like a more sensible solution to the last-mile problem: the time-intensive activity of getting packages from distribution centers to homes.
Wired points out some particular problems, though: "A delivery robot can't open gates without hands, and it can't climb steps to get right to your door. And if the robot requires the customer to enter a PIN to get the package out, how can the robot leave the package if you're not home?" And compared to the orderly structure of roads, sidewalks are pure chaos, with people, pets and objects sharing the space. Whether autonomous delivery vehicles are allowed to share the sidewalks varies by state and by city too; San Francisco has severely restricted them since 2017. Amazon's road test in Seattle may determine whether the delivery method finally arrives.
Wired points out some particular problems, though: "A delivery robot can't open gates without hands, and it can't climb steps to get right to your door. And if the robot requires the customer to enter a PIN to get the package out, how can the robot leave the package if you're not home?" And compared to the orderly structure of roads, sidewalks are pure chaos, with people, pets and objects sharing the space. Whether autonomous delivery vehicles are allowed to share the sidewalks varies by state and by city too; San Francisco has severely restricted them since 2017. Amazon's road test in Seattle may determine whether the delivery method finally arrives.
The robots are writing down your comments as we speak...
Ezekiel 23:20
Using robots to deliver packages via sidewalks is a private taking of a public good (sidewalk). It is illegal.
And for good reason. Just imagine the swarms of these things that could be in everyone's way –– these things that are motorized vehicles. Oh, most places, operating a motorized vehicle along a pedestrian right-of-way is illegal, too.
Neither of these will be enforced, unless a large group of individuals sues and wins.
Does Amazon not understand how much people are going to fuck with these sidewalk robots? First, they'll be covered with gang graffiti in about five minutes, or festooned with sex toys. Local bands will cover them with stickers. Then, it will become a viral prank to kidnap these things with a panel van and steal their stuff and "customize" them. They will be hacked and used in public robot fights. Eventually, they'll be turned out and used for prostitution.
You are welcome on my lawn.
amazon is around a trillion dollar company. I will be walking down a street with one of those robots, maybe if it tripped me or run over my foot, I can get some of their cash...accidents happen :-)