A Study of an Automatic Delivery Robot with a Representation of Animal Ears for Sharing the Sidewalk with Pedestrians
摘要
The logistics industry is facing significant challenges, including labor shortages and the deterioration of transportation networks, which have exacerbated the issue of “shopping vulnerability.” In particular, there is a need to expand transportation capacity near destinations, known as the “last mile.” The number of drivers in road freight transport has been declining, while parcel deliveries are on the rise, highlighting a potential future labor shortage in the logistics sector. In response, the introduction of autonomous delivery robots has gained momentum, with services such as Uber Eats using robots for deliveries in Tokyo since 2023. However, the presence of these robots on sidewalks could lead to psychological stress for pedestrians due to unpredictability in their movement paths. As the number of robots increases, this issue is expected to worsen in urban areas, where crowding will be more pronounced. This research aims to address this problem by proposing and testing design strategies that enhance pedestrian comfort and facilitate smooth traffic flow between pedestrians and autonomous delivery robots. Ensuring that pedestrians can trust the robots’ sensors and movement decisions is crucial to achieving safe and efficient coexistence on shared sidewalks.