Robotic delivery service Kiwibot has expanded its operations to San Jose, Miami-Dade County, Pittsburgh and Detroit. Each city will initially run pilot projects, and recieve up to ten robots each as well as a human supervisor.

The Los Angeles based company has completed over 150,000 food deliveries with its semi-autonomous robots. The move to expand to the additional cities has been made possible by the Knight Foundation which funds initiatives aimed at creating future people-centred smart cities.

The pilot projects will allow the cities to learn how to best deploy emerging mobility technologies. Each pilot project is designed to serve the public good in an equitable manner while offering a sustainable business model for private sector companies.

The pilot use cases chosen include small local business deliveries, community kitchens working with vulnerable populations, and increasing access to library books and pharmacies.

Some services will replicate and scale the successful programme deployed in San Jose during 2020. Others arose from Kiwibot’s Love Date Robots campaign, which fosters engagement and open interactions with the robots for the public, small businesses, and community organisations.

Kiwibot and the Knight Foundation have been working closely with these cities to bring residents to the centre of the autonomous technology pilot projects in order to increase opportunities for locally-owned businesses, as well as grant more equitable access to food, medication, and other goods.

They also want to ensure that robots are deployed in areas where they can operate safely among pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles. 

These pilots aim to be a self-sustainable public service by mapping areas and collecting sidewalk and infrastructure data using the Mobility Data Specifications (MDS) framework and an automated data collection system.

These cities have adopted Vision Zero programmes, part of an international movement to reduce deaths on roads to zero. As a consequence of these city initiatives, and supported by the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act, these cities may spend up to $40 billion over 30 years repairing curbs, ramps, and sidewalks. Kiwibot’s robots could eventually streamline these processes by sharing data about sidewalk conditions and vehicle and pedestrian traffic with city authorities, helping US cities become more accessible and safer, especially for the one in four Americans living with a disability. 

Since June 2021, Kiwibot’s robots in the four cities have travelled 1,455 miles, mapped 368 miles, and delivered 20,000 data points for city and county authorities. The partnership has allowed for 268 robot dates and resulting deliveries. 

“With more than 70 cities deploying pilots worldwide, autonomous vehicles and sidewalk delivery devices are set to be the most disruptive technologies of our time,” said David Rodriguez, Director of Strategy & Business Operations at Kiwibot. “Our robotic infrastructure is steering the post-pandemic world; supporting small businesses and community initiatives, bringing green solutions for congestion, and solving delivery needs while promoting safe mobility for all.”

“People should always be at the centre of how these new mobility solutions are being deployed, which is why we’re thrilled to support collaborations with Kiwibot in San Jose, Miami, Pittsburgh, and Detroit that truly demonstrate the power of resident-informed strategies,” said Lilian Coral, Knight Foundation’s Director for National Strategy and Technology Innovation. “The application of digital technology during the pandemic to facilitate the movement of people and goods has helped shape how cities respond to unprecedented challenges.”