Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A robot could soon be delivering to your doorstep, but Knoxville City Council is saying not yet.
Despite their popularity and successful use on UT’s campus, the city council on Tuesday, October 31 approved a temporary six-month ban on the use of autonomous delivery vehicles, or food delivery robots within the city.
“It seems like it works well for university and campus but does that make sense for everywhere in Knoxville? Not necessarily, so we’ll use the six months to figure that out,” said Director of Strategic Planning and Programs for the City of Knoxville Carter Hall.
Hall and city leaders are also looking at whether or not to allow the delivery bots on Knoxville’s streets from a safety standpoint. “We feel like the technology works well, but we want to make sure it would be translated well to Knoxville in a safe way,” Hall said.
Hall said the city will consult with other cities who have the service as well as local law enforcement, businesses and disability services.
UT’s fleet of food delivery robots allows students to order food on their phones, getting it in their hands quickly and contact free. The devices are covered in cameras and sensors and roam campus on their own.
“They’re very convenient, you know. People have bad days. You don’t want to walk and get your food, or you’re in the library studying and don’t want to leave,” said Marina Rodgers, a freshman at UT.
The service has been successful on UT’s campus for more than a year. The new ban does not apply to UT’s services.
The ban is similar to the one city council took before approving the use of electric scooters and bikes in Knoxville.
