Friday, January 29, 2021
Thursday, January 28, 2021
The Time is Right / The Future is Now: Sidewalk Delivery Bots
Sidewalk-robot startup celebrates 1 million deliveries
Low speeds enabled Starship to launch its service safely and quickly
Last March, just as the Washington, DC, area was locking down for COVID-19, I traveled to George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, to eat a hamburger delivered by a robot.
The robot was owned by delivery startup Starship. Today, Starship announced that it has completed 1 million deliveries. Annika Keeton, a college student in Bowling Green, Ohio, was Starship's millionth customer.
In recent years, a lot of hype has followed companies like Waymo and Tesla as they try to build full-size, go-anywhere self-driving cars. But designing these vehicles has proven fiendishly difficult. Tesla's self-driving software still requires careful supervision, while Waymo's driverless taxis are still limited to one corner of the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Starship chose to tackle a much easier technical challenge. Its vehicles never go faster than four miles per hour (6.4km/h), dramatically reducing safety concerns. Starship has focused on offering service on college campuses, a relatively controlled and forgiving environment for autonomous robots. As a result, Starship was able to launch commercially a few years ago and expand rapidly.
The company reached 100,000 deliveries in August 2019 and 500,000 deliveries in June 2020. It expects to complete another million deliveries in a matter of months.
Obviously, Starship isn't an immediate threat to Waymo. But self-driving startups exist on a spectrum between Starship and Waymo. There are several startups—including Nuro, Udelv, and Gatik—working on driverless delivery services on roads rather than sidewalks . . .
There are also a number of startups working on driverless taxi and shuttle services that operate at low speeds in limited areas. Voyage is building a driverless taxi service at a large retirement community in Florida where the top speed is 25mph. Optimus Ride partners with large commercial landlords to provide shuttle services in planned communities. May Mobility is running a self-driving shuttle service in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Obviously, if Waymo can get its full-speed self-driving technology working at scale, it can easily enter these narrower markets. But if it takes time for Waymo (and other high-end robotaxi companies like Cruise, Argo, and Zoox) to scale up—for logistical, technical, or regulatory reasons—that will leave an opening for more targeted services to grab market share. And once these startups are operating at a large scale, they may be able to improve their technology to handle higher speeds and more demanding situations, allowing them to more directly challenge companies higher on the self-driving food chain."
Here's one promoted comment from the story to give you a good idea of a reaction -
dan185818 Smack-Fu Master, in training
Another person asked about getting into them. You have to have your phone with you to pick up, with GPS on, before the top unlocks (at least it did the one time I've had drinks ordered).
That said, they're also very cute. That helps incredibly with dealing with the inconveniences they might have. And very polite, if they see a person near them in front, they stop and let you go. One of the places that put food in them is in the building I work(ed before work from home because of the pandemic) in, so there would be a line of 6-8 of them outside, like pets.
The first Halloween that these were on campus, we saw a LOT of really good costumes of them, too. They've caused very little issue, and have helped in a lot of ways, I think."
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FURTHER READING: About 11,400 results Search Results
December 2020 Pittsburgh PA
Pennsylvania legalizes autonomous delivery robots, classifies them as pedestrians
By Ryan Deco
CP Photo: Jared Wickerham
Last month, Pennsylvania legalized autonomous delivery robots, which can weigh up to 550 pounds without cargo and typically roam sidewalks to delivery goods in urban and suburban environments.
The law’s passage went largely unnoticed, and it became law without Gov. Tom Wolf’s signature. It passed mainly along partisan lines, with Republicans supporting the law and Democrats opposing, calling it a job killer. Bills regulating autonomous delivery robots have largely been pushed by delivery companies like Amazon and FedEx, according to WIRED magazine. Opposition has largely come from pedestrian and accessibility advocates, as well as labor unions like the Teamsters. . . Pennsylvania joins several other states in regulating autonomous delivery robots, aka Personal Delivery Devices (PDD). Most laws, including Pennsylvania’s, now legally classify them as pedestrians, as long as PDDs yield the right-of-way to actual human pedestrians and cyclists.
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More >
Arizona State deploys Starship robot delivery
11 September, 2020
Arizona State University is the latest institution to turn to robot delivery from Starship, with a fleet of 40 autonomous robots being deployed on the Tempe campus. Assisting in the initiative is ASU’s food-service provider, Aramark, who has partnered with delivery robot provider Starship Technologies to provide the program to higher education institutions.
According to an official university release, the fleet of 40 robots will serve ASU’s on-campus community and will deliver from select group campus dining locations to start with the hopes to expand the program over the academic year. ASU students, faculty and staff can all leverage the Starship mobile app to place their food and drink orders, and select on-campus locations where the robots will place deliveries
ASU joins a growing roster of campuses across the country to deploy Starship delivery robots on campus, including Purdue University, Georgia Southern University, Ole Miss, the University of Houston, and more.
To get started, ASU students open the Starship Deliveries app, choose the food items they want, then drop a pin on the map in the mobile app to designate where they want the delivery to be sent. The user can then watch as the robot makes its journey to them via the interactive map. Once the robot arrives at its destination, a push notification is sent to the user to meet and unlock the robot through the app.
More > Starship delivery robots bring Starbucks, Blaze pizza to campus
New NORML: Year 2021 Going Green Beyond A "Marijuana Moment" > The Cannabis Cultivation Industry
Even right here in the 21st Century in Mesa, Arizona the most conservative city in America. No doubt it's another fertile pathway to bring Mesa into the 21st Century - an innovation of a different kind for sure! One recent operational impact to support the growing industry is the news that conservative Mormon-founded law firm Udall Shumway, where both Mayor John Giles and Mesa City Councilmember Chris Glover had internships early in their careers, has entered into 12 Practice Areas of Cannabis Law.
Canna Magazine publicized the event like this:
An Educational Exploration Into the World of Cannabis
8 of the Brightest Minds in Cannabis Sharing Their Knowledge & Passion in a Series of Short-form Lectures
Learn about what’s happening in the rapidly growing world of cannabis from industry specialists, medical professionals, growers, scientists, and families involved in it every day. Whether you are new to cannabis or a long time veteran, these short-form lectures are designed to expose you to the personal experiences and advances in the understanding of this wonderful plant.
Link > Science of Cannabis Summit
Arizona Begins Recreational Marijuana Sales, Just Weeks After Voters Approve Legalization
by Kayla Jaeger"Arizona marijuana sales for the adult-use market officially began on Friday after state officials began notifying retail business license applicants that they’d been approved.
The launch comes just weeks after voters in the state overwhelmingly passed a cannabis legalization initiative during November’s election. This marks the fastest transition from voter-approval to sales implementation of any state that has legalized marijuana to date.
Under the measure, regulators were required to quickly develop rules for the market. Industry stakeholders say they’ve had productive conversations with the Department of Health Services to create those guidelines over the past few weeks.
The department released two draft versions of its proposed regulations and then, earlier this month, began accepting applications for recreational business licenses. This first round of approvals is for existing medical cannabis dispensaries that have already gone through the state’s prior licensing process.
“ADHS has received 79 applications since the application period began early Wednesday,” the department said in a press release on Friday. “Six of those applications remain under review,” meaning that 73 facilities can now begin adult-use cannabis sales.
The full list of those stores is at the bottom of this story.
NOW: Line goes around the building at @HarvestHOC in Scottsdale, one of 73 facilities in AZ w/ recreational marijuana sales license. #fox10phoenix pic.twitter.com/ym9waon5Oc
— Justin Lum (@jlumfox10) January 22, 2021
Those who aren’t currently operating a medical marijuana shops can still apply for an adult-use license during this first round if they plan to operate in a county with two or fewer existing dispensaries. Applications for those who aren’t eligible in this phase will be open soon and are expected to be approved starting in the spring.
Samuel Richard, executive director of the Arizona Dispensaries Association, told Marijuana Moment that the “dedicated focus and professionalism of our regulators have really played out here in an incredible way.”
“We had overwhelming support in November—a three to two margin, 60-40 percent. We got over the finish line,” he said.
“It’s great to see that our regulators responded to that overwhelming support by working as fast as they can to get the infrastructure in place to allow the two million Arizonans that voted ‘yes’ for Prop 207 to start to enjoy the benefits of legal, adult-use cannabis.”
Recreational marijuana sales are now legal in Arizona. Here is the scene at Harvest in Scottsdale that started selling recreational at around noon today. pic.twitter.com/20RW76nzij
— David Wallace (@DavidWallce) January 22, 2021
Legalization advocates are cheering the state for its expediency in getting the recreational marijuana market off the ground.
Matthew Schweich, deputy director at the Marijuana Policy Project, told Marijuana Moment that it is “encouraging to see Arizona move forward with implementation of the legalization policy approved by voters in November.”
“By avoiding unnecessary delays, Arizona will accelerate the timeline for job creation, business investment, and new tax revenue,” he said.
“I commend state officials for prioritizing the implementation of Prop. 207 and ensuring that Arizona adults have safe and convenient access to affordable marijuana in a timely manner,” NORML State Policies Coordinator Carly Wolf, told Marijuana Moment. “Voters were crystal clear on their mandate at the ballot box: end the failed policy of criminalization and replace it with a legal pragmatic regulatory framework as soon as possible.”
“It’s time to stop ceding control and revenue of the marijuana market to unregulated and untaxed enterprises in order to eliminate the risks associated with an illicit market,” she said.
The rules for the adult-use market took effect on January 15. They cover licensing fees, the timeline for approvals, the structure of the regulatory body, product labeling, public safety protocols and more. Many of the changes from prior draft regulations were technical, but there was one notable change concerning credentialing for cannabis workers.
Rather than being credentialed for one specific facility, the worker registration was expanded so that they could be certified to be employed at any cannabis operation in the industry.
While these rules are in place for the newly approved retailers, Richard said regulators have made clear their intent to continue to work with stakeholders and continue to build upon their rules to ensure the market’s success.
RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA-
A line for has already formed here at @HarvestHOC on Grant. They were approved for a recreational license today by AZDHS and have already started selling. @KOLDNews pic.twitter.com/jZMuGiP1Jg— Karly Tinsley (@ktinsleynews) January 22, 2021
Under the state’s new legalization law, adults will be able to possess up to an ounce of marijuana at a time and cultivate up to six plants for personal use.
> The measure also contains several provisions aimed at addressing the harms of prohibition such as allowing individuals with prior marijuana convictions to petition the courts for expungements and establishing a social equity ownership program.
Cannabis sales will be taxed at 16 percent. Tax revenue will cover implementation costs and then be divided among funds for community colleges, infrastructure, a justice reinvestment and public services such as police and firefighters.
That revenue could also help the Arizona’s economic recovery amid the coronavirus pandemic, Richard said.
“At the time where folks are still struggling to recover across the country in terms of state budgets, we look forward to being a critical piece” of that recovery, he said.
Arizona’s quick response to voter approval of the reform initiative stands in stark contrast to New Jersey, where voters also approved a legalization referendum in November.
While regulations have been developed and retail sales are launching in Arizona, enabling legislation has faced numerous delays in New Jersey as lawmakers and the governor continue to hash out differences in their preferred regulatory approach.
That said, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said during his State of the State address last week that “we are on the verge of passing an innovative and groundbreaking set of laws to reform our historically unjust approach to marijuana and cannabis.” But the exact timeline to pass an implementation bill is yet to be determined.
See the full list of medical cannabis dispensaries authorized to sell recreational marijuana below:
| Facility Legal Name | County | City |
| Natural Relief Clinic Inc | Cochise | Bisbee |
| Desertview Wellness & Healing Solutions, LLC | Coconino | Flagstaff |
| Arizona Natures Wellness | Coconino | Sedona |
| Desert Medical Campus | Gila | Payson |
| High Desert Healing Llc | Maricopa | Avondale |
| Non Profit Patient Center Inc | Maricopa | Cave Creek |
| Azgm 3, Inc | Maricopa | Chandler |
| Border Health, Inc | Maricopa | Chandler |
| Total Health & Wellness Inc | Maricopa | Chandler |
| Total Health & Wellness Inc | Maricopa | Chandler |
| Arizona Cannabis Society Inc. | Maricopa | El Mirage |
| Fort Mountain Consulting, Llc | Maricopa | El Mirage |
| Absolute Health Care Inc | Maricopa | Gilbert |
| Ocotillo Vista, Inc. | Maricopa | Glendale |
| Pahana, Inc. | Maricopa | Glendale |
| Pp Wellness Center | Maricopa | Glendale |
| Whoa Qc Inc | Maricopa | Glendale |
| G.T.L. Llc | Maricopa | Guadalupe |
| Nature Med Inc | Maricopa | Guadalupe |
| 4245 Investments Llc | Maricopa | Mesa |
| Arizona Wellness Collective 3, Inc | Maricopa | Mesa |
| Buds & Roses, Inc | Maricopa | Mesa |
| Jamestown Center | Maricopa | Mesa |
| Sea Of Green Llc | Maricopa | Mesa |
| The Giving Tree Wellness Center Of Mesa Inc | Maricopa | Mesa |
| The Healing Center Farmacy Llc | Maricopa | Mesa |
| Valley Healing Group Inc | Maricopa | Mesa |
| Vending Logistics Llc | Maricopa | Mesa |
| Pinal County Wellness Center | Maricopa | Peoria |
| Ad, Llc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Az Compassionate Care Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Catalina Hills Botanical Care Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Devine Desert Healing Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Fort Consulting, Llc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Greens Goddess Products, Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Healing Healthcare 3 Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Herbal Wellness Center Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Kwerles Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Mohave Valley Consulting, Llc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Natural Herbal Remedies Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Natural Relief Clinic Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Nature’s Healing Center Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Nature’s Healing Center Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Organica Patient Group Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Phytotherapeutics Of Tucson | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Rjk Ventures, Inc. | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| The Giving Tree Wellness Center Of North Phoenix Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| Zonacare | Maricopa | Phoenix |
| The Kind Relief Inc | Maricopa | Queen Creek |
| Byers Dispensary | Maricopa | Scottsdale |
| Csi Solutions Llc | Maricopa | Scottsdale |
| Eba Holdings Inc. | Maricopa | Scottsdale |
| All Greens Inc | Maricopa | Sun City |
| East Valley Patient Wellness Group Inc | Maricopa | Sun City |
| Holistic Patient Wellness Group | Maricopa | Tempe |
| Salubrious Wellness Clinic Inc | Maricopa | Tempe |
| Svaccha, Llc | Maricopa | Tempe |
| Kannaboost Technology Inc | Maricopa | Tempe |
| K Group Partners Llc | Maricopa | Youngtown |
| Sweet 5, Llc | Maricopa | Youngtown |
| Verde Dispensary Inc | Mohave | Kingman |
| Abedon Saiz Llc | Mohave | Lake Havasu City |
| Fwa Inc | Mohave | Lake Havasu City |
| Arizona Golden Leaf Wellness, Llc | Pima | Marana |
| Medmar Tanque Verde Llc | Pima | Tucson |
| Patient Care Center 301, Inc. | Pima | Tucson |
| Rainbow Collective Inc | Pima | Tucson |
| Nature’s Wonder Inc | Pinal | Apache Junction |
| Svaccha, Llc | Pinal | Apache Junction |
| Medical Pain Relief Inc | Pinal | Casa Grande |
| Sherri Dunn, Llc | Yavapai | Cottonwood |
| 203 Organix, Llc | Yavapai | Prescott |
| Jamestown Center | Yuma | Yuma |
Congressman Files First Federal Marijuana Reform Bill Of 2021
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