A Regulatory Roadmap for Public-area Mobile Robots

A public-area mobile robot (PMR) is an automated or teleoperated device without a proximate human operator that moves within a public space shared with pedestrians, pets, cyclists, micromobility devices and automobiles. This paper examines the current status of ISO standards and traffic regulations from several countries related to PMRs. It covers PMRs operating indoors or outdoors in public access spaces for cargo, food delivery, guidance, maintenance, and security tasks. It then outlines the regulations cities, regions, and countries need to govern PMRs, including those operating inside public-access buildings and the order in which they are needed. Finally, it recommends a roadmap for governments to prepare regulations suitable to their infrastructure, populations and polity.