Philadelphia police took the 78-year-old academic into custody on October 14 after she ignored repeated orders to step aside for an autonomous machine. Officers originally arrived on the scene to investigate a report of criminal mischief before citing Marvin for disorderly conduct. Her actions spotlight broader regulatory debates stemming from a 2020 state law that officially designates delivery robots as pedestrians. Marvin maintains that she will continue obstructing the devices to protest their impact on pedestrian safety and low-income delivery jobs.
Key points
A 2020 Pennsylvania statute legally classifies autonomous delivery devices as pedestrians…: A 2020 Pennsylvania statute legally classifies autonomous delivery devices as pedestrians while mandating that they yield to human walkers.
Marvin intends to continue obstructing the sidewalk robots to protest worker displacement…: Marvin intends to continue obstructing the sidewalk robots to protest worker displacement, automated camera surveillance, and pedestrian safety hazards.
The protest underscores growing legal and public friction over whether commercial robotic…: The protest underscores growing legal and public friction over whether commercial robotic services belong in spaces designated for human pedestrians.
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A 78-year-old retired professor in Philadelphia has vowed to continue protesting delivery robots after she was arrested for repeatedly standing in their way, arguing that her actions were an exercise of free speech and a protest against technology taking over public spaces.
Carolyn Marvin, a retired communications professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said blocking autonomous delivery robots had become a habit since the small, wheeled machines began operating on Philadelphia’s streets and sidewalks.
October 14 was not the first time Marvin had placed herself in front of one of the robots. She would stop them for a few minutes as they travelled along the sidewalk carrying food orders.
“I was under the impression that I had more rights than the robot did,” Marvin said to CNN in an inerview.
The October 14 incident ended with her arrest. Marvin said she had been returning home after getting a flu shot when she encountered a delivery robot. She had a jar of enchilada sauce in one hand and chicken biryani takeout in the other when she stood in front of the…
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