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Bill Authorizes Use Of Robots For Package, Food Delivery

A delivery robot goes through its paces during a demonstration in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

North Carolina may soon be swept up in a robot revolution. 

Lawmakers have passed a bipartisan bill authorizing and regulating the use of “small personal delivery robots” that could be used for packages, food takeout, and medical supplies.

The legislation was sponsored by Republican Senator Jim Perry. He tells The News & Observer that as a major technology hub, North Carolina is in an ideal position to institute a pilot program advancing the use of robotic distribution.

Perry points out that the devices allow for contactless delivery, and can be easily sanitized.

Companies such as Amazon and FedEx have already launched robot models that automate services for the final leg of package delivery.

While there is some concern about how automation may impact jobs, Perry says there would ultimately be more employment opportunities in design and technology.

If the legislation is signed by Governor Roy Cooper, it wouldn't take effect until December. And Perry says it would be almost another year before residents see robots rolling up to their front doors.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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