Sunderland has quickly become the UK’s proving ground for a new wave of food delivery robotics. Starship Technologies is deploying its self-driving robots in the U.K. This trial, which includes participation from 12 local restaurants, aims to explore how automated delivery can operate alongside traditional courier services.
The robots, fitted with cameras and six large rubber wheels, scuttle along the busy city centre roads. Each unit is outfitted with a very tall pole that supports a big flashing orange flag that makes the unit stand out and helps alert pedestrians to their presence. One of these restaurants is Koji, an Asian fusion restaurant on High Street West.
Peter Richardson, general manager of Koji, said they were excited to be at the forefront of the technology. He cited it as … “that unique.” As he implied, we’ve officially left the realm of common experience.
Despite this, the debut of these robots has been met with controversy by the city’s residents. Rachael Atkinson, who saw firsthand how her son Teddy responded to the robots, voiced the worry of many Americans in describing the threat these machines pose to jobs. “I worry that the robots will take a lot of people’s jobs,” she stated, highlighting the apprehension felt by some in the community. Teddy, for his part, thought the robots were “a little nuts.”
Ahti Heinla, the founder and chief executive of Starship Technologies, did his best to calm those fears and toast the role of robots. He stressed that they wouldn’t take human jobs; rather, they would complement a staff in busy times and shortages. “We are adding a new delivery option and it doesn’t replace people,” he remarked. Heinla pointed to the rapid growth in demand for delivery as an example. He acknowledged that there haven’t been enough human couriers to fulfill this demand, hinting at automation’s ability to fulfill this lack.
As one local resident, Eugene Murphy, told Transportation One week earlier, people have a valid reason to be skeptical about the need for such technology. All of that while recognizing the need to stay ahead of the curve, but asking the question of do we really need food delivery robots.
The trial will further allow couriers to prioritize deliveries that go beyond the downtown core. Additionally, Heinla noted robots can assist those with less mobility or those who cannot leave the house. This additional support helps keep them in their homes and able to have meals delivered.
Peter Richardson of the Safe Routes Partnership welcomed the prospect of robots being employed as a fallback option, though. He stated, “If one day something did go wrong and drivers went, there you’ve got that back-up, so you can still get that food out.”
Smart new Sunderland recently announced the U.K.’s first pilot program for food delivery robots. We’re just as excited to see how these robots will integrate into the broader delivery landscape, and what impact they’ll have on the workforce and community in the long run.