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REPORT <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From the City Manager <br /> <br />November 7, 2016 <br /> <br />SUBJECT <br />Adoption of a pilot program allowing the use of autonomous robots for delivery of goods <br />in Redwood City <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />Adopt a resolution approving the creation of a pilot program to allow the use of <br />autonomous robots, also known as Personal Delivery Devices “PDD”, for a period of <br />nine months in the City of Redwood City and authorizing the City Manager to issue a <br />PDD Permit to Starship Techologies, Inc. The program would be implemented through <br />the issuance of a permit establishing the terms and conditions for a company to <br />participate in the program and allow the use of their robots on City sidewalks and <br />streets <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br /> <br />Starship Technologies, a London based company founded in 2014, created and <br />launched the use of an autonomous delivery robot also known as a Personal Delivery <br />Device “PDD” that is being used in many cities in the United Kingdom and Germany. <br />The PDD delivers groceries, restaurant take-out items and more. It can carry <br />approximately three grocery bags worth of goods and weighs about 50 pounds when <br />fully loaded. The PDD is autonomous, using nine on-board cameras to assist in its <br />travels along the sidewalks and going no more than four miles per hour. <br /> <br />At street crossings, it is assisted by a human controller to ensure it is safe for the robot <br />to cross the street and not impede traffic. The PDDs travel throughout a five-mile radius <br />from their docking point. Customers can establish their delivery times, track their items <br />while in transit on the mobile application at all times, and securely retrieve their items <br />with their unique code that opens the robot. Starship Technologies plans to have two <br />docking locations in the city and plan on serving the residential areas. <br /> <br />A smaller pilot program is currently underway in Washington D.C.; however, Redwood <br />City would be the primary pilot program for Starship Technologies in the United States. <br /> <br />ANALYSIS <br />Starship Technologies is looking to launch a pilot program in the United States to <br />thoroughly test their PDDs. They have approached Redwood City as one of those <br />6.3.A. - Page 1