A sight-loss charity is taking proactive steps to address concerns raised by guide dog owners regarding their pets’ unease around delivery robots through new specialist training sessions.
The Guide Dogs training centre in Leamington Spa has joined forces with Starship Technologies, a developer of autonomous delivery robots, to acclimate trainee guide dogs to the technology.
Starship Technologies donated a robot shell to the charity and has committed to helping working dogs to navigate encounters with these machines on city streets.
After the session, the charity’s staff were happy with the progress achieved by apprentice guide dog Vinny in adapting to the mobile robots.
Starship’s delivery robots, which are equipped with six wheels, navigate pavements to deliver various items, and were introduced in Milton Keynes six years ago.
Since then, their presence has expanded to towns across the UK, with major companies like the Co-op and DPD participating in mobile robot trials.
Guide dog trainer Paul Lennon noted that some service users had reported their dogs’ unusual reactions to the robots. Anticipating increased robot usage in the coming years, Lennon stressed the importance of ensuring guide dogs are unfazed by these encounters.
“We expect the use of them to really go up over the next few years,” he said.
“We really wanted to have a training aid [to make sure] they’re not going to be held back by things that they meet on the streets.”
Vinny’s training involved exposure to a stationary robot in a controlled environment, with the gradual incorporation of movement. Treats and positive reinforcement were used to create a favourable association, with the results of the session showing promise for other working dogs.
