This workshop will address critical questions facing urban planners, policymakers, accessibility advocates and technology developers: How should cities regulate robots that navigate sidewalks, bikeways, crosswalks, and indoor public spaces? What safety protocols, licensing requirements, and enforcement mechanisms are needed? 

Based on Urban Robotics Foundation’s research, we will share current regulations from early adopters across the globe, look at regulatory gaps that have emerged, and propose a framework for governance of public-area mobile robots (PMRs) that can help streamline the integration of these technologies across regions.

Participants will consider practical approaches to PMR governance spanning from trial deployments to mature implementations with thousands of devices. The workshop provides actionable insights that will help jumpstart your learning and mitigate risks associated with implementing new technologies in public spaces.