Robots ride to rescue as delivery risks rise

A resident takes out her order from a Starship Technologies delivery robot as neighbours look on April 8, 2020 in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington, DC. The Starship delivery robots have seen surging demand in dozens of cities around the world, with consumers staying home and virus risks growing for both shoppers and delivery workers. — AFP

WASHINGTON: What looks like a rolling picnic cooler stops at the crosswalk, waits for a car to pass and then navigates its way at a leisurely pace down the sidewalk in suburban Washington.

Three blocks away, Jake Williams and his three-year-old daughter Emilia wait for the delivery robot and take out bags with pizza, fresh fruit and a loaf of French bread from the nearby Broad Branch Market.