Robots hit the streets as demand for food delivery grows

Robots navigate the Bowling Green State University campus in Bowling Green, Ohio. Hundreds of little robots – knee-high and able to hold around four large pizzas – are now navigating college campuses and even some city sidewalks in the US, the UK and elsewhere. — AP

ANN ARBOR, Michigan: Robot food delivery is no longer the stuff of science fiction. But you may not see it in your neighbourhood anytime soon.

Hundreds of little robots – knee-high and able to hold around four large pizzas – are now navigating college campuses and even some city sidewalks in the US, the UK and elsewhere. While robots were being tested in limited numbers before the coronavirus hit, the companies building them say pandemic-related labour shortages and a growing preference for contactless delivery have accelerated their deployment.