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Thousands of Chicago residents are demanding the city halt the expansion of automated food delivery robots, citing alleged collisions and severe sidewalk obstruction in several neighborhoods.
The small, boxy robots, operated by companies like Coco and Uber, have recently become common sights in areas like Lincoln Park. While supporters promote the battery-powered machines as the future of eco-friendly delivery, critics argue they pose a public safety hazard.
Local worker Caity Collins described a close encounter. “The other day I was walking, and one rammed straight into the back of my leg,” she stated, noting the resulting injury was unpleasant.
Another employee, Ethan Venzon, noted the robots cause significant congestion, saying, “Sometimes it’s kind of in the way. It takes up a lot of the sidewalk,” when several robots gather outside restaurants during busy hours.
This congestion and concern over safety prompted resident Josh Robertson to launch a petition. Robertson urges the city to pause robot operations and provide safety data, arguing that sidewalks are reserved for people. His petition has already gathered 2,500 signatures.
“We’re getting reports of collisions with people, with pets, with bicyclists, getting reports of obstruction,” Robertson said.
Vignesh Ram, representing Serve Robotics (one of the companies operating the bots), acknowledged the petition and welcomed feedback. Ram countered safety concerns by pointing out that the robots operate slowly, travel short distances, and possess 1/3,000th the kinetic energy of a car.
Chicago aldermen are now gathering resident feedback on the delivery bots through constituent surveys as the city considers future regulation.
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