Making AI delivery robots friendly to people with disabilities and “careful pedestrians”

The company behind AI robots that deliver shopping to your home said it “constantly” talks to people with disabilities to ensure their safety.

Starship Technologies’ knee-high machine can carry three bags around town.

They use the same sidewalks as pedestrians, new commission advises on collision avoidance

The team, now in Wakefield, says “live experience” and knowledge of disability are central to its operations.

They look like freezer coolers on wheels, said Lisa Johnson, director of communications at Starship Technologies. “It can scoot up and down curbs on its six little wheels.”

But being a robot designed to use pavements, abandoned bicycles, electric scooters, and street furniture can present frustrating new obstacles for people with disabilities to navigate.

But Lisa told the BBC’s Access All podcast that some safety measures had already been put in place and the robot was programmed to be a “cautious pedestrian”.

They use obstacle avoidance technology (sensors and cameras) to track what moves towards obstacles and their speed.

“That role is to get out of the way,” she added.

One scenario the company is looking at is what happens when a wheelchair user and a robot meet on a narrow street.

A similar issue made headlines in the United States in 2019, when a University of Pittsburgh student was trapped in the roadway when traffic approached because a Starship Technologies robot blocked the only accessible entrance to a sidewalk. I tweeted that I got it.

At the time, she told local radio station 90.5 WESA: “It was really strange that something unsentient put me in danger and made me feel helpless. I think I was just laughing at it. ‘Oh my god, this is my life right now.’ is”

The robot was removed for several days. And after reviewing footage of the incident, the company issued a statement, disputing that students were blocked from entering the sidewalk, but saying it had updated its map system.

Since the incident, Lisa said, “We’ve spent a lot of time getting robots to learn what mobility devices are like,” and now the robots are learning to avoid getting in the way. said i know.

If you can’t get out of the way on your own, a human backup is always nearby to step in and help.

One mobility aid that is currently difficult to recognize is the white cane used by the blind.

“The cane is really thin,” says Lisa. “And robots don’t encounter wands very often.

After further hands-on learning, the robot is expected to detect the cane and announce its presence with a voice message such as: “Hello, I’m Starship Robot, letting you know I’m here”. ”

The charity’s assistive technology directors, Steve Tyler and Leonard Cheshire, are among the signatories to Starship Technologies’ Disability Advisory Board. He himself is blind.

“There are many opportunities, [but] “There are a lot of threats,” says Steve of the rapidly evolving technology. “We need to be involved from the beginning as the disability community to ensure that we advance some of what is offered.”

One of the things Steve hopes to improve is getting devices into people’s homes. Now, when you open the lid to retrieve your purchases, your selected song will play.

But how could a blind person know it’s there?

“You may need to know where the signal is before that happens,” he advises.

This technology may seem futuristic, but everyone should be involved in conversations about technology like this, because it will soon become the norm and could affect our lives in the future. Essential, says Steve.

“These technologies not only bring us closer to clients who need accessibility, they also potentially impact how cities and towns develop, how sidewalks are laid out, and how shared spaces are laid out.”

Lisa said the song she sings when she opens the lid to retrieve her purchases has also been the subject of debate.

“One of the most popular songs at the moment is Baby Shark. Is that a plus or a minus? We don’t know at the moment.”