Delivery robots may soon be rolling along Vancouver streets.
At Wednesday’s city council meeting, ABC Coun. Mike Klassen is set to bring forth a motion for a six-month pilot project that would pair delivery robots with food delivery apps.
The program, presented by Serve Robotics, a U.S. company, would “allow for a thoughtful and pragmatic approach to testing emerging technology while maintaining public safety, accessibility, and community engagement.”
Klassen says that Vancouver is “a city of innovation, becoming known as a preeminent North American tech hub with world class talent, leading the globe in areas such as virtual reality, augmented reality, bio tech, green tech.”
Food delivery robots are just the next step in innovation.
The pilot represents an important opportunity to explore innovative urban delivery solutions, assess regulatory and operational considerations, and gather evidence to inform future policy decisions.
Serve Robotics already serves major North American cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
The areas that would be served by the fleet of robots would be Kitsilano and the downtown core.
The motion calls for the program to start this fall.