Delivery Robots Spread in LA; Hologram Helps Airport

Both projects show a wider push to add automation to everyday public life, but reactions have been very different. In LA, where sidewalks are already narrow, residents say the boxes on wheels block walkers and may eventually replace human delivery drivers. The city of Glendale is weighing a moratorium, while Chicago has limited expansion. Researchers at Cornell University have proposed a "robotability score" to rate which streets can safely host the machines. At LaGuardia, by contrast, the operator describes Bridget as extra help during busy periods, not a substitute for human staff. Miami International Airport unveiled four similar holograms about three weeks earlier; they support 40 languages.

So far, reactions have been mixed. In LA, restaurant staff call the bots a "minor nuisance" that hits people and clogs walkways. A New Jersey cyclist sued after a robot allegedly hit him, causing a broken collarbone and head injury. Yet some Angelenos cheer when a robot finally squeezes through a crowd. LaGuardia says more Bridget units will be installed. Whether people embrace these neighbors depends less on the technology than on whether daily life becomes easier.