Philadelphia residents have been sharing sidewalks with robot delivery drivers for about a month, and they\u2019re not thrilled with the change.<\/p>\n
Uber Eats held a demo March 10 showing off Avride\u00a0autonomous delivery robots<\/a>, which officially launched in the city of brotherly love that same week.<\/p>\n The robots were described as \u201cthe future of delivery,\u201d but the humans around them quickly began resenting the automated couriers. In late March, an Uber Eats delivery robot in Philadelphia\u2019s Center City neighborhood was kicked multiple times.\u00a0<\/p>\n The second time the autonomous delivery bot was kicked it toppled over,\u00a0according to WPVI-TV<\/a>, which noted that the people who attacked the robot put it on its wheels.<\/p>\n The kicking incident occurred just after another viral incident in which someone\u00a0sat on one<\/a>\u00a0of the robots.<\/p>\n Uber Eats delivery robots have been in Philadelphia since March 10, but residents have clashed with them. FOX 29 Philadelphia<\/p>\n \u201cWhen delivery robots are introduced in a new area, it\u2019s quite common to see heightened curiosity from people around them. Some may try to \u2018test\u2019 how the robot reacts \u2014 for example, by stepping in front of it or attempting to interact with it directly,\u201d Avride, the company that makes the robots, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a known and expected phase as people get used to the technology. These few cases of vandalism in Philadelphia did not affect our service area expansion plans.<\/p>\n \u201cThe robots are designed to respond conservatively. In most cases, they will simply stop and wait if someone approaches or interferes, resuming their route only once the interaction has ended.<\/p>\n In late March, an Uber Eats robot in Philadelphia\u2019s Center City neighborhood was kicked multiple times. Funcab Karaoke<\/p>\n \u201cIn practice, these moments are usually brief \u2014 people tend to satisfy their curiosity within a minute or so and then move on. At the same time, we do not condone intentional damage or unsafe behavior toward the robots.\u201d<\/p>\n Lindsay Ouellette, a third year PhD student in social psychology who is part of Temple University\u2019s Robot Social Navigation Amongst Pedestrians (roboSNAP) team,\u00a0told BillyPenn<\/a>\u00a0the frustration with the robots is not new, just aimed at a new target.<\/p>\n She said that just as pedestrians can be frustrated with fellow humans who walk slowly or are looking at their phones, they can also take issue with the delivery robots.<\/p>\n Philadelphia\u2019s Center City neighborhood, where the robotic service is available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christopher Boswell \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n The delivery robots have been deployed to dozens of cities across the US, including Austin, Dallas and Jersey City<\/a>.<\/p>\n The robots keep the orders secure by requiring customers to unlock the cargo hatch through the Uber Eats app. Additionally, Avride is immediately notified if someone tampers with or tries to steal the device.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cargo compartment of each delivery robot is securely locked and can only be opened by the intended recipient through a mobile app. If anyone attempts unauthorized access or tries to steal the robot, it triggers an alert to our remote operator. The operator will immediately connect to the robot\u2019s sensory feed to evaluate the situation and take appropriate action to secure it,\u201d\u00a0Avride said<\/a>\u00a0on its website.<\/p>\n The delivery robots have been deployed to dozens of cities across the US, including Jersey City. Christopher Sadowski<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the robots are able to navigate without human intervention, Avride has a remote support team that is able to control the robots in the case of \u201can extraordinary situation arises.\u201d<\/p>\n The robotic delivery service is available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the\u00a0Philadelphia neighborhoods\u00a0of Center City, Chinatown and Old City.<\/p>\n The robots use LIDAR sensors and cameras to navigate and are able to travel about 5 miles per hour.<\/p>\n Avride says its robots are able to operate in a variety of weather conditions, including rain and snow.<\/p>\n Additionally, the company said its bots can interpret and recognize traffic light signals, giving them the ability to safely navigate busy city streets.<\/p>\n While customers have shown skepticism, business owners see robot delivery as an opportunity.<\/p>\n