Co-op has come under fire over “dangerous” robots being used to deliver groceries to Brits.
Campaigners have warned that the autonomous machines risk making pavements less safe and accessible.
Walking charity Living Streets has written to Co-op interim chief executive Kate Allum over the supermarket’s delivery partnership with Starship Technologies.
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It claims the small six-wheeled robots could create particular problems for older and disabled people.
The machines are already used to deliver groceries from selected Co-op stores in parts of the UK.
Living Streets chief executive Catherine Woodhead said delivery robots “present a danger to pedestrians”, according to The Funday Times.
The charity also argued pavements should not be treated as logistics routes.
It said it had heard from people across Britain who felt the robots were limiting accessibility.
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Concerns were said to be particularly focused on older people who rely on walking to local shops as part of their daily routine.
The robots are currently used in areas including Leeds, Milton Keynes and Northampton, as reported by What’s The Jam.
They are also available in Bedford, Cambourne, Cambridge, Rushden, Trafford, Wakefield and Wellingborough.
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Customers order groceries through the Starship app, rather than directly through Co-op.
Staff at a local store load the robot before it travels to the customer’s home.
Delivery fees start from 99p.
The battery-powered machines travel at around walking speed.
Co-op has previously said they use a combination of sensors, artificial intelligence and machine learning to travel on pavements and navigate around obstacles.
Their computer vision-based navigation technology is designed to map the surrounding environment.
The robots have even been given names, including Sir Lance-a-bot, Gizmo and Sunshine.
Co-op first began trialling the robots in Milton Keynes in 2018.
Demand later increased during the Covid pandemic, with the operation expanding into central Milton Keynes in March 2020 before launching in Northampton.
Several hundred of the robots are now understood to be in use in the UK, serving hundreds of thousands of customers.
Starship Technologies was founded in Estonia in 2014 by Skype co-founders Janus Friis and Ahti Heinla.
The company has previously said clearer regulation would allow it to expand its UK fleet and support further investment in autonomous deliveries.
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