Guide dogs taught to deal with delivery robots

Two-year-old Vinny was unfazed by the delivery robot

A sight-loss charity is teaching trainee guide dogs how to deal with delivery robots after owners reported their pups were unnerved.

The Guide Dogs training centre in Leamington Spa has teamed up with the firm behind the tech so dogs-in-training could be familiarised with it.

Starship Technologies donated a robot shell to the charity and pledged to support working dogs reacting to the machines on the streets.

Staff at the charity said they were "really pleased" with the progress already made by apprentice guide dog Vinny.

Autonomous six-wheeled delivery bots travel on pavements to deliver food, groceries and packages.

They were introduced in Milton Keynes six years ago and since expanded to towns around the UK, with firms such as the Co-op and DPD opting in.

Guide dog trainer Paul Lennon explained a couple of service users had highlighted dogs' "strange reactions" to them.

"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."

Golden retriever Vinny's training introduced him to the static bot in a room strewn with boxes, toys and sniff matts, with movement incorporated later.

Scattered treats fostered a "positive association", Mr Lennon explained, adding he was "really pleased" with the two-year-old's progress.

"We'll do this time and time again just to make sure that the dogs are really happy with it," he said.

The robots travel on pavements to deliver items including food and packages

Ryan Holroyd-Case from Starship Technologies said its partnership with the charity would deepen their understanding of how guide dogs interacted with the tech.

"Over the years we've conducted testing with guide dogs to observe their reactions," he said.

"We've found many dogs work very well around our robots without distraction, but some need a little more support."

The Leamington-based guide dog training centre is the largest in the country, supporting about 250 owners in the area.