Starship Technologies, Guide Dogs pilot project findings announced

Self-driving robot delivery startup Starship Technologies and charity Guide Dogs have released research around autonomous technologies and visually impaired people.

A pilot project, conducted in Milton Keynes, saw guide dogs accompanied by their owners and/or trainers encounter Starship’s autonomous delivery robots in live scenarios. This included meeting from the front and rear, overtaking one another, and heading towards eachother at a road crossing.

All of the dogs reacted calmly, most stopping before the robot approached, with no adverse reactions. The project is now set to be expanded to include more extensive testing that will discern the impact robots have on people with a spectrum of visual impairments.

John Welsman, Policy Lead, Travel and Mobility at Guide Dogs, says: “Technology is constantly changing our environment and the way we live, so it’s vital that we as an organisation lead the way in shaping that environment for people with a vision impairment. We want all our guide dog owners and their dogs to feel confident about navigating the streets of the future, so we’re really pleased to have the opportunity to work with Starship on this initial study.”

Sign up for our free retail technology newsletter here.