Delivery robots face regulatory 'nightmare': inconsistent state laws hinder expansion

U.S. states have varying regulatory attitudes toward sidewalk delivery robots, leading to a complex regulatory environment for the industry. Georgia allows robots weighing up to 500 pounds and traveling at 4 miles per hour on sidewalks, while New Hampshire permits robots to reach speeds of up to 10 miles per hour but limits their weight to 80 pounds. As of the end of 2022, according to research data from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center and Supply Chain Dive, at least 23 states had enacted some form of regulation governing the operation of these delivery robots within their borders.

Delivery robots trigger wave of state legislation

The surge in state legislation surrounding delivery robot deployment is a double-edged sword for tech developers. While companies can have more say in the early stages of legislation, the fragmentation of state regulations also complicates their national expansion. Ritukar Vijay, CEO and co-founder of delivery robot company Ottonomy, said: "Getting all states to agree would be a nightmare—the states are vastly different."

Although no state outright bans delivery robots, tech developers tend to adopt a cautious expansion strategy rather than flooding the market with robots to avoid public backlash. Ali Kashani, CEO and co-founder of Serve Robotics, said: "We don't use an 'act first, ask for forgiveness later' approach." He mentioned that the rapid expansion of electric scooters ultimately led to public resentment.

Legislation is often shaped under the guidance of delivery robot operators. Starship Technologies, partnering with Grubhub, brought sidewalk robots to university campuses and worked with legislators to advance bills in Virginia, Idaho, Wisconsin, and elsewhere. However, state legislatures do not always side with commercial interests, requiring robot developers to actively engage in the political process. Starship's CEO Alistair Westgarth said the company has seen proposals that, while aimed at ensuring safe deployment, could ultimately hinder delivery services. He added that companies must balance achieving commercial goals with addressing safety concerns, an approach that has helped Starship create value for customers and the communities where its robots operate.

Political engagement can also give companies an advantage in ensuring their designs are deployed smoothly. Carl Hansen, vice president of government relations at delivery robot company Coco, noted that differences in state laws often depend on which robot operator led the passage of a particular bill. For example, when Starship pushed for legislation in 2017 and 2018, it targeted the characteristics of its robots, which could carry about 20 pounds of cargo. Subsequently, Amazon and FedEx pushed for legislation in 2019 and 2020 to accommodate the use cases of their different robots. FedEx's Roxo robot (which the company canceled to prioritize near-term goals) had a payload capacity of 100 pounds.

But in some state legislatures, companies face stronger resistance. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly vetoed a 2022 bill that would have established operating rules for sidewalk delivery robots. In her veto message, she stated that lawmakers still needed to address safety concerns, such as clarifying minimum liability provisions and enforcement oversight agencies. The bill was not reconsidered, and it also raised concerns about job security for delivery workers.

Despite opposition, legislation for sidewalk delivery robots is gaining momentum in state legislatures. The push to regulate deployment is also recent—all bills signed into law were introduced in 2017 or later. Kansas State Senator Tom Holland, who opposed the bill, predicted that new delivery robot legislation "will keep coming."

The difficult transition from state legislatures to sidewalks

Regulatory approval does not guarantee smooth deployment. Operators and regulators have learned difficult but necessary lessons through multiple tests, some of which were conducted after regulations were enacted. Pennsylvania signed delivery robot legislation in 2020, and the state's Department of Transportation authorized Kiwibot for deliveries in 2021. The company conducted deliveries in Pittsburgh from September to December of that year as part of the Urbanism Next Center's Knight Autonomous Vehicle Initiative, a $5.25 million program aimed at helping cities develop human-centered approaches to technology applications.

According to the center's report, during the pilot, robots could provide delivery services for a food truck, a pharmacy, and a library in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood. But the robots quickly encountered problems, unable to overcome obstacles such as broken sidewalks or overgrown trees. During the pilot, Kiwibot completed 4 customer deliveries and 972 simulated deliveries. The report stated that due to "infrastructure challenges," the company ultimately decided not to expand in that neighborhood.

In Detroit, Kiwibot also tested robot delivery in partnership with the Knight AV initiative, but a local restaurant had difficulty training staff to use the technology. Tim Slusser, Detroit's director of mobility innovation, said that when restaurant staff became familiar with the delivery robot, the business faced staffing challenges and reverted to standard systems to reduce disruptions. The pilot then moved to another local restaurant but faced issues with low customer engagement. Slusser said: "Frankly, I think consumer awareness of this service was insufficient. So we worked with the Kiwibot team to simulate as many runs as possible from the restaurant's typical delivery locations."

During the Detroit test, Kiwibot completed only 12 customer deliveries, but Slusser said the city is now better prepared for new robot programs, such as Starship's deployment at Wayne State University's campus. Experts say pilot projects like those in Pittsburgh and Detroit are crucial for eliminating potential implementation issues. Karen Lightman, executive director of Carnegie Mellon University's Metro21, said: "In many ways, this is not a technology issue; it's often the application, human factors, and policy that become complicated and messy."

News graphics developer Jasmine Ye Han and visuals editor Shaun Lucas also contributed to this report.