Authors

Zhihao Chen, Junjie Deng, Downey Zhao

Research Question

As cities like New York face rapid advancements in robotics and automation, a pressing challenge emerges: how can dense urban environments be equipped with the institutional, spatial, and social capacity to effectively govern and integrate robotic systems while ensuring safe, equitable, and harmonious interactions between humans and robots?

This project aims to develop a foundational framework for human-robot interaction (HRI) in public urban spaces by investigating the challenges, risks, and opportunities that large cities will encounter as robotic technologies become embedded in everyday life. It seeks to inform future urban planning, governance, and design practices through a multidisciplinary exploration of the following key research questions:

• What challenges and dilemmas will cities face as robots become active agents in public urban spaces?
• What are the potential risks and what governance structures are essential to manage safe and inclusive robot integration in large cities?
• How will robots reshape the function and experience of current public urban spaces, and how can these spaces be adapted to accommodate both humans and machines?
• What technological and social infrastructures are needed to support sustainable and context-sensitive deployment of robotics in urban environments?
• What legal and regulatory considerations — especially regarding privacy, social equity, and civil liberties — must be addressed to ensure public trust and accountability?
• How can urban design and planning be reimagined to proactively integrate robotic systems into the civic fabric of future cities?
• How can urban managers and policymakers promote positive and human-centric engagement with robots in daily public life?

Background

As robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) become increasingly embedded in public life, cities must proactively prepare for their integration into urban spaces. From last-mile delivery bots to autonomous taxis and inspection drones, robots are beginning to address challenges in mobility, sustainability, infrastructure, and social connectivity. However, their presence in dense, diverse public environments also raises complex questions about safety, privacy, regulation, and urban design.

This capstone project explores how NYC can build the capacity to govern, manage, and spatially plan for human-robot interaction (HRI) in public urban spaces. Students investigate emerging use cases — such as delivery, security, and service robots — alongside key challenges including legal frameworks, urban infrastructure adaptation, and community acceptance. Through interdisciplinary research, stakeholder engagement, and case studies, the team is developing a strategic framework to guide the responsible integration of robots into the civic fabric of NYC.

Methodology

With the growing presence of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) in urban life — from last-mile delivery robots to autonomous taxis and public safety bots — cities like New York are at the frontier of integrating these technologies into public spaces. However, such integration raises important challenges in urban design, public safety, governance, and social equity. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive frameworks to guide the responsible and inclusive adoption of robots in dense urban environments.

This project investigates how NYC can prepare for and manage human-robot interaction (HRI) in public spaces through a multidisciplinary methodology. The approach includes:

• Literature and Policy Review: Surveying existing academic and policy literature on urban robotics, smart city governance, and public-space design.
• Data Collection
  • Primary Data: Students collect real-world data using a robot provided by the project sponsors to observe human-robot interactions and spatial behavior in public settings
  • Secondary Data: Students may use open-access datasets (e.g., Segments.ai Open Datasets) featuring sensor data (LiDAR, video, GPS) from robot-taxi systems and indoor/outdoor service robots
• Qualitative Data: Conduct interviews, field observations, and community surveys at NYC sites where robots are currently deployed (e.g., NYPD subway patrol bots)
• Analysis Tools: GIS for spatial mapping, Python or R for data analysis, and annotation tools for video and sensor data processing
• Design and Prototyping: Urban design prototypes, spatial frameworks, and governance models using tools such as Rhino, QGIS, or Tableau
• Stakeholder Engagement: Interviews with city officials, urban planners, technologists, and community groups

Deliverables

• Research Report on Urban Robotics Integration: Students will produce a comprehensive scientific report that synthesizes findings from literature reviews, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement. The report will outline the key challenges, risks, and opportunities of deploying robotics in public urban spaces, and propose metrics for evaluating safe and effective human-robot interaction. The report may be suitable for submission to interdisciplinary academic or policy-oriented journals.

• Practical Framework and Urban Robotics Toolkit: As a final deliverable, students will design a practical implementation framework — such as a decision-making toolkit, design checklist, or policy guide — for city planners and agencies. This resource will help guide the integration of robotics into urban environments with considerations for safety, governance, accessibility, and public engagement.

• Optional Digital or Visual Output: Depending on the team's skill set, students may also develop a complementary interactive dashboard, spatial visualization, or prototype illustrating how robots might be deployed and governed in NYC public spaces.

Data Sources

The project will require a combination of observational, spatial, and behavioral data related to human-robot interaction (HRI) in public urban spaces. The primary plan is to collect real-world data using a robot provided by the project sponsors, enabling students to directly observe and analyze interaction patterns, spatial usage, and public responses in select NYC environments. The robot is built by BYU MS students from MAE department and is equipped with all the sensors, camera and lidar needed for the purpose of this project.