LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Food delivery robots that have roamed around the UNLV campus for more than a year could be allowed to make the trek to off-campus restaurants for orders, if a proposed ordinance is finally approved.
The proposal is set for a vote by the Clark County Commission on August 20. FOX5 has told you how the ordinance has been in the works for almost a year, after the 2023 passage of a state law gave the green light for robot deliveries.
Students and staff across the large urban campus have asked for more options, all to save students treks in the heat, time during work, and avoiding walks late at night with concerns like pedestrian robberies.
According to the proposed ordinance, robots must abide by various safety rules, including:
- Maximum travel speed of 5 MPH
- No delivery of cannabis or alcohol
- 50 robots per company, per university
- Passage on wider sidewalks to allow for pedestrians and wheelchairs to pass
Robot company Starship, which manages the current on-campus robots, sent FOX5 the following statement about its intent to expand at UNLV, and its safety protocols:
“We’ve had a lot of demand from students who are off campus and would like to receive Starship food deliveries. We provide autonomous robot deliveries on more than 50 campuses in the US and have expanded service off-campus at several of them. If approved, we will be able to deliver from on-campus restaurants so these students can have the same convenience that they get while on campus.
Starship’s global fleet of 2,000 robots makes 150,000 road crossings daily. Our robots can climb curbs and use a variety of sensors and cameras to follow pedestrian safety rules. We prioritize safety so use marked crosswalks and will only make crossings when pedestrian signals allow.
We’re excited about the possibility of expanding our presence in the Las Vegas area and making life more convenient for the students who live off campus.”
FOX5 asked Chair Tick Segerblom about the safety of robots crossing busy streets like Maryland Parkway and Tropicana Avenue.
The big hang up is going to be crossing the main streets, and having somebody push the button. They say they have that figured out, but, but the proof will be in the pudding on that,” Segerblom said.
If the ordinance passes and the expansion goes well, Segerblom said, one day, robots could be allowed to deliver across the Las Vegas Valley. “The university is great for a lot of reasons. start with one small step,” he said.
The ordinance could go into effect around two weeks after passage.
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