They look like freezer coolers on wheels, Lisa Johnson head of public affairs at Starship Technologies says. “It trundles along on its six little wheels and it can climb up and down the kerbs as well.”
But as a robot designed to use pavements, it could have become another frustrating obstacle for disabled people to navigate, such as abandoned bikes, e-scooters and street furniture.
But Lisa told the BBC’s Access All podcast that some safety solutions have already been put in place and the robots had been programmed to be “cautious pedestrians”.
They use obstacle avoidance technology – sensors and a camera – to track what is moving towards it, and how quickly.
“Its job is to stay out of your way,” she adds.
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