If you’ve strolled around the streets of Toronto in recent months, you might have seen tiny pink-coloured robots with hearts-eyes minding their business and heading to their destination.
Developed by a company called Tiny Mile, the pink machines are actually food delivering robots that are temporarily being taken off the road, owing to the fact that they may be hazardous for people with low vision and mobility.
These robots help small businesses save money on delivery expenses by delivering meals via Uber Eats within two kilometres of the restaurant.
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Tiny Mile is taking the robots off the streets to cooperate with authorities, including the Committee for Infrastructure and Environment and Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee which recently voted to ban all non-muscle operated devices from sidewalks and bike lanes.
“We agree with the City that the health and safety of people with disabilities should be the highest priority for councillors and our company,” reads Tiny Mile’s Instagram post. “Tiny Mile’s mission is to create a more livable city for all Torontonians. Whether it’s providing a service to improve the lives of people with disabilities or reducing emissions from the delivery service industry, we believe our technology has a role to play in the Toronto of tomorrow.”
The Council will look at the proposal on December 15th, and will decide the fate of these robots and future operation. If a ban does come into effect, anyone who is found operating these robots can face a set fine of $150.
For now, Tiny Mile will pause public use of its robots. The company also said on its Instagram that it will seek input from the public and people with disabilities to see if the robots can be improved in any way.
Image credit: TinyMile
Source: @tinymiledelivery
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