“FedEx delivery robots invade New York City streets,” read one newspaper’s headline, describing the six-wheeled “SameDay” bots that the company is testing in four cities.
But this week New York City told them they’re not welcome, CNN reports:
The delivery robot, called Roxo, is not actually being tested in New York, but was visiting the city for a special event, a FedEx spokesperson told CNN. Nevertherless, lawyers for the New York City Department of Transportation delivered a cease-and-desist letter to FedEx on Monday, warning that the robots were violating multiple traffic provisions… Motor vehicles are not permitted to operate on New York City sidewalks, and no motor vehicles may be operated without “having at least one hand” on the the steering mechanism any time the vehicle is moving, according to the letter.
“FedEx’s robots wouldn’t just undercut the jobs of hardworking New Yorkers — they would be a danger on our crowded streets,” Will Baskin-Gerwitz, Mayor Bill De Blasio’s deputy press secretary, told CNN.
of this story at Slashdot.
Source:: Slashdot