Fox: Are delivery robots taking over public sidewalks?

Delivery robots are becoming a more common sight on sidewalks in Washington, D.C., where companies Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics recently began delivering restaurant orders.

In a new article from The Washington Post, University of Michigan School of Information associate professor Sarah Fox discusses the broader effects of allowing private companies to use public sidewalks as delivery infrastructure.

Fox is an expert on the social and political implications of artificial intelligence, automation and algorithmic systems, particularly their effects on labor, governance and public infrastructure.

“Delivery robots raise broader questions about the privatization of public space. Sidewalks become part of a company’s logistics network even though the public may absorb the associated costs,” Fox said.

Fox also highlighted the potential consequences for people with disabilities. 

“A robot blocking a narrow sidewalk, curb cut, crossing, bus stop, or entrance may inconvenience a nondisabled pedestrian but eliminate the only accessible route for someone using a wheelchair” or another mobility device, Fox said.

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Read “Robots are delivering the impersonal touch to D.C. takeout” on The Washington Post. 

Learn more about UMSI associate professor Sarah Fox by visiting her UMSI faculty profile.