Author: Bern Grush
Date: February 2, 2025
Public-area mobile robots (PMRs) present municipalities with compelling opportunities for operational efficiency, cost reduction, and service enhancement. However, the true value proposition extends beyond immediate task automation to encompass broader municipal preparedness and governance capabilities.
In terms of direct operational benefits, PMRs offer significant promise for reducing labor costs in repetitive maintenance tasks. Autonomous mowing systems can maintain parks and school grounds continuously, while specialized robots can handle seasonal tasks like sidewalk salting and sweeping. These applications not only reduce labor costs but also enable more frequent service delivery, potentially improving public space maintenance standards.
Infrastructure adaptability presents another key advantage. Mobile EV charging robots can bring charging stations to standard unpowered parking spaces creating mobile charging capability without costly fixed infrastructure installation. This flexibility allows cities to expand EV charging capacity dynamically, responding to demand patterns while avoiding extensive retrofit costs in municipal parking structures.
Safety applications offer particularly promising returns on investment. Robotic crossing guards can provide consistent, tireless supervision in school zones, while simultaneously collecting data on traffic patterns and pedestrian behavior. These systems can operate longer hours than human crossing guards, potentially expanding protection for children during before- and after-school activities.
Public safety applications demonstrate the versatile potential of PMRs. They can support law enforcement by providing enhanced surveillance capabilities, responding to initial incident assessment, or maintaining presence in areas requiring monitoring. In firefighting and emergency medical services, robots can enter hazardous areas or provide initial response support, enhancing responder safety and operational capabilities.
PMRs excel at multi-purpose operations, particularly in asset management. A security or delivery robot can simultaneously monitor infrastructure conditions, collecting data on pavement quality, signage conditions, or lighting functionality. Such passive data collection gathers valuable municipal asset management information with marginal additional costs.
The environmental and congestion benefits of PMRs are significant. Last-mile delivery robots can replace numerous short-distance vehicle trips, reducing traffic congestion and emissions in suitable urban areas and times. These systems are particularly effective in pedestrian zones where traditional vehicle deliveries are problematic.
Beyond the Benefits: Municipal Readiness
At this time, we are in the first generation of PMR development. While many robotic systems are currently ready, not every type of PMR is appropriate for every city. Hence, the most important and substantial long-term value for municipalities lies in developing institutional knowledge and governance frameworks.
Cities must start now to proactively build expertise in managing PMR operations, much as they developed competencies in traffic management, parking systems, and micromobility regulation. This includes establishing protocols for robots-as-a-service (RaaS), certification processes, fleet licensing, insurance requirements, and enforcement mechanisms.
The complexity of integrating PMRs into urban environments requires comprehensive municipal preparedness. Cities must develop expertise in areas such as data management, privacy protection, infrastructure adaptation, and public safety protocols. This includes establishing clear guidelines for PMR operations in shared spaces like bike lanes and crosswalks, managing public concerns, and coordinating with existing municipal services and union agreements.
Success in PMR deployment depends on municipalities developing robust frameworks for oversight, including inspection protocols, safety standards, and PMR operating boundaries. Cities must also address practical considerations like mapping requirements, communication infrastructure, and emergency response procedures. This institutional knowledge becomes a valuable asset, enabling cities to respond effectively to new deployment opportunities and challenges.
Conclusion
The municipal business case for PMRs extends far beyond immediate operational benefits to encompass long-term governance capabilities. By developing comprehensive PMR management expertise, cities position themselves to maximize the benefits of this evolving technology while ensuring safe, effective integration into urban environments.
About URF
The Urban Robotics Foundation (URF) is a membership-supported, non-profit organization focused on stakeholder engagement and preparing cities and regional governments for the safe deployment of public-area mobile robots. Bern Grush is the Executive Director of URF. He founded URF in 2021 and is the global lead for drafting ISO-4448 - the new deployment standard for "Intelligent transport systems — Public-area Mobile Robots (PMRs)" - the first part of which was published in 2024.
We invite you to join URF!
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