Are delivery robots coming to Dallas?
Dallas city council’s Mobility Solutions, Infrastructure, and Sustainability Committee will be briefed Wednesday on a new pilot program regarding robot delivery devices.
A “robotic delivery device” is an electronically powered, autonomous vehicle used for transporting goods. It’s no more than 26 inches wide and 48 inches high, and operates at a maximum speed of 5 mph. Sensors will allow the robots to process a picture of the environment in order to navigate safe pathways and detect objects around it.
According to transportation leaders, the robots will reduce the number of delivery vehicles on the roads. They say the decrease in vehicles will cut pollution and traffic congestion.
If the pilot project is approved, the robots will only operate on city-designated sidewalks and will obey all traffic control devices and signs.
In August, San Francisco-based Marble launched two test robots to begin mapping streets in Arlington. Arlington's city council gave the green light in June for private companies to deploy robotic devices for testing.
ONLINE: City of Dallas Memorandum on robotic delivery devices
