Delivery robots could soon be rolling along Vancouver sidewalks

Representatives of Serve Robotics give a demonstration of "Brian," an autonomous delivery robot, at Surrey city hall in January. The company may start a pilot project in Vancouver this fall. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

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Those cute little delivery robots you may have seen in recent TD Bank ads could soon be rolling through the streets of Vancouver.

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City council will vote this week on a motion to work with California-based Serve Robotics on a pilot project that would test the viability and safety of having the automated delivery systems take to the streets of the downtown peninsula and Kitsilano.

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Coun. Mike Klassen will introduce the proposal at a council committee meeting on Wednesday.

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“Serve Robotics is an established leader in the field of robotics and autonomous delivery, with a track record of success in many major North American cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago,” reads the motion.

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“Serve has presented a pilot program proposal to the mayor’s office, members of council, and the government of British Columbia to activate their autonomous delivery robots in Vancouver,” it says.

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“A pilot program would allow for a thoughtful and pragmatic approach to testing emerging technology while maintaining public safety, accessibility and community engagement.”

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The pilot would allow city engineers and the robotics company to work together on regulatory requirements and operational issues before making a decision on a bigger robot presence in the city. It would require changes to the City of Vancouver’s street vending bylaws before going ahead.

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The city also plans to reach out to the provincial government “to confirm their authorization of autonomous delivery robots under the definition of designated micro-utility devices in Bill 23, Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2023.”

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Serve’s robots are quite a bit more robust than the little pod featured in the TD advertisements, but the concept is the same: A container on four wheels with an app-activated lid that opens for the person who places the order. They travel on sidewalks and navigate around pedestrians using a set of cameras and sensors.

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There are thousands on the streets of major U.S. cities but delivery robots are slowly rolling their way into Canada, with a demonstration by Serve Robotics early this year at Surrey city hall and a pilot by Waterloo-based Real Life Robotics and Skip, formerly Skip the Dishes, last year in Markham, Ont.

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The Vancouver pilot project would run for six months, with Serve’s robots expected to hit the streets as early as this fall.

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