Delivery robots will soon appear on the sidewalks and crosswalks of Washington State.
Gov. Jay Inslee (pictured above) signed a bill establishing new rules in the state for "personal delivery devices" such as Amazon's delivery robots introduced earlier this year.
State legislators were heavily assisted in drafting the bill by Starship Technologies, an Estonia-based company founded by the co-founders of Skype and specializing in last-mile delivery. So it was only natural that one of the company's robots delivered the Inslee bill for approval.
“Thank you Starship… but I can assure you that their technology will never replace the Washington state legislature,” Inslee said before signing the bill.
According to the new rules, the delivery robot:
- Cannot travel faster than 6 miles per hour (9,7 km/h).
- Can only cross the street at pedestrian crossings.
- Must have a unique identification number.
- Must be controlled and controlled by the operator.
- Must give way to pedestrians and cyclists.
- Must have effective brakes as well as headlights.
- The operating company must have an insurance policy with a minimum coverage of $100.
Representatives from Starship and Amazon attended the bill signing ceremony. Starship has reportedly been petitioning for this legislation in Washington since 2016.
Source: 3dnews.ru