By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) has been working on legislation promoting self-driving vehicles of various kinds. On Tuesday, he was in Bowling Green to view a local iteration of the technology, the Starship delivery robots at Bowling Green State University.
The congressman co-sponsored self-driving legislation in 2017 that sped through the U.S. House only to hit a roadblock in the Senate.
Now he’s co-sponsored Advancing Unmanned Delivery Services Act, the new bill “tasks the Secretary of Commerce to examine unmanned delivery services, their impact on United States businesses conducting interstate commerce, and identify potential regulatory roadblocks to the use of their services.”
During his visit to BGSU, Latta said that it was important to take a national approach to regulations. “We can’t have 50 states and the District of Columba coming up with own regulations.”.
He said and others on the House Energy and Commerce Committee take a long view, five to 10 years in the future, so entrepreneurs and innovators have guidance. “It’s looking out there and seeing how we can advance things.”
The current circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic show the need for such services.
The elderly and disabled can use these to get food and medicines, he said. “It’s great to see it operating in my hometown.”
Mostly during the press event on campus, he asked, questions of those who are running the service, which is a partnership between Starship Technology and BGSU Dining by Chartwells. How long does it take to deliver? About 45 minutes to the furthest part of its range. Cost? $2.99 plus additional depending on how far. Charging overnight gives them enough power to run throughout the day? Yes. What happens if they encounter a kid’s bicycle left on the sidewalk? Remote guidance is available.
The service was launched on campus on March 2, and within a couple weeks was making 1,000 deliveries daily.
Earlier this summer, the service was expanded to reach areas in the community just over a mile from campus. Deliveries are from Dunkin Donuts and Panda Express as well as Carillon Place and the associated convenience store.
Reid Zura, a student who works in operations for the Starship service on campus, said that the Panda Express has proven particularly popular.
Zura is just one of the students hired to work on the Starship robot project.
Paulus said 30 people were hired as a result of introducing the robots to campus. At its height 48 of the squat vehicles were being used, though that’s been reduced to 30 after students did not return after spring break, said Mike Paulus, director of dining services.
BGSU President Rodney Rogers said having this partnership with Starship Technologies fits with the university’s initiatives in mechatronics and supply side management.
Zura said that each robot has 10 camera eyes as well as other sensors that can help it navigate. If it gets stuck it can call for help from a remote operator who may be on the other side of the globe. It may even ask a passerby to give it a hand.
The growth has not stopped, Paulus said. The next step being explored is working with local business to do delivery for them. Food establishment would be the obvious niche, but it could be more. He said the service is going to experiment delivering apparel from Falcon Outfitters.
