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Starting this fall, University of Minnesota students could get snacks delivered by robot.

The Minneapolis City Council Thursday approved a one-year pilot program for personal delivery devices — small delivery robots that travel on sidewalks and road shoulders. The U of M has a pending permit request for six to ten robots, which would deliver food and beverages from Coffman Memorial Union to other East Bank campus buildings.

The council approved the pilot, but members said they have concerns they want to address before programs like this roll out on a wider scale.

“While getting a pizza delivered by a cute toy robot sounds fun, there are impacts, and I want to make sure that as a city we are having a robust conversation with our labor groups and other community groups who are raising concerns about this technology,” council member Robin Wonsley said. 

Wonsley, who represents Ward 2 and the university’s campus, said she’s heard concerns from workers about potential labor impacts and about sidewalk safety. 

Permits issued under the pilot will build in some safety requirements. Robots will have a five-mile-per-hour speed limit and will have to follow traffic laws and yield to traffic. A remote operator will also need to be available in case a human needs to take over navigation.

Wonsley said she’s looking into potential regulations, should these programs catch on.

“Similarly to what happened with Uber and Lyft and scooter services, technology companies drop into cities that have unregulated markets and we’re forced to respond reactively,” Wonsley said. “I would like to avoid that pattern and be proactive.” 

The devices have caught on at universities nationwide, including the University of Wisconsin and Ohio State University. The Minneapolis robots will operate on the U of M campus, but the proposed service area does include some city streets and sidewalks, according to the council.

The council says the pilot was prompted by a U of M request. While the U’s permit request is the only one currently pending, the pilot program allows the city to grant up to three permits, if other entities choose to apply.

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Estelle Timar-Wilcox

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The Minneapolis City Council Thursday approved a one-year pilot program for personal delivery devices — small delivery robots that travel on sidewalks and road shoulders. Council members say they’re listening to safety and labor concerns as the project rolls out.

Robot delivery approved for the U of M campus

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