Australia Lags in Adopting Delivery Robots

The introduction of delivery robots in California and European cities has not been matched by Australia because of safety and legal issues. Serve Robotics and Coco have joined forces with Uber Eats and Doordash to operate robots for food and grocery delivery in Los Angeles sidewalks. Food delivery robots have been integrated into European cities such as Sweden, Finland and the UK for multiple years. Autonomous delivery robots are scarce in Australia. The 2017 Australia Post robotic parcel locker trial in Brisbane was restricted by human escort requirements and limited to single-parcel delivery which raised questions about practicality. Ground robots encounter a legal "minefield" because drone delivery has made progress in Melbourne and Queensland but their regulations remain unclear. The retail industry has adopted robotic technology through Woolworths hazard detection robots and restaurant virtual waiters yet public deployment remains restricted. The combination of safety concerns about navigating crowded urban spaces and the conservative approach to new technology technologies prevents progress. The lack of regulatory clarity puts Australia at risk of lagging behind competitors who are advancing delivery service technology which could boost efficiency and reduce labor costs.