Chicagoans call for stop to robotic sidewalk delivery

Chicago sidewalks are host to delivery robots from two companies, and hundreds of residents are so opposed, they’ve signed a petition to stop them.

The city program, announced in 2022, lets the robot companies partner with grocery stores and restaurants to make deliveries near those establishments, the officer of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a release at the time.

Some residents, however, say the robots clutter walking spaces and pose a safety risk. A petition calling for “no sidewalk bots” had over 700 signatures as of Tuesday. 

“I stumbled over it, and I whacked my eyelid against the visibility flag that’s attached to the robot … blood and urgent care, stitches. the whole thing,” Anthony Jonas, who ended up with a scar after colliding with a robot, told Chicago’s WBBM-TV.

The petitioners want the program stopped until Chicago’s Transportation and Business Affairs & Consumer Protection departments release data on the robot program when it comes to safety and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

Serve and Coco, the companies authorized to operate robots on Chicago sidewalks, told the TV station that they comply with Chicago sidewalk laws.

Serve robots are 22.5 inches tall, which the company says is intentional to help people stay aware of them on the sidewalk.

“When the robots are in your periphery, you may not see them if they are too low. They also have a light ring on top. So that’s all because we want you to notice them and minimize any negative implications, including people running into them,” Serve Robotics CEO Ali Kashani told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Coco Robotics General Manager Logan Doub told the newspaper that the company has had no major accidents in Chicago.

“The pilot taught us a lot about optimizing fleet deployment, improving routing, and handling the city’s unique challenges — from rough sidewalks to snow and freezing temperatures,” he said.