Navigating the Last Mile: A Stakeholder Analysis of Delivery Robot Teleoperation

Avishag Boker (), Einat Grimberg, Felix Tener and Joel Lanir
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Avishag Boker: Department of Information Systems, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
Einat Grimberg: Data61, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
Felix Tener: Department of Information Systems, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
Joel Lanir: Department of Information Systems, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-28

Abstract: The market share of Last-Mile Delivery Robots (LMDRs) has grown rapidly over the past few years. These robots are mostly autonomous and supported remotely by human operators. As part of a broader shift toward sustainable urban logistics, LMDRs are seen as a promising low-emission alternative to conventional delivery vehicles. While there is a large body of literature about the technology, little is known about the real-world experiences of operating these robots. This study investigates the operational challenges faced by remote operators (ROs) of LMDRs, aiming to enhance their efficiency and safety. Through interviews with industry professionals, we explore the scenarios requiring human intervention, the strategies employed by ROs, and the unique challenges they encounter. Our findings not only identify key intervention scenarios but also provide a thorough examination of the teleoperation ecosystem, operational workflows, and how they affect the ways the ROs manage their interactions with robots. We found that ROs’ involvement varies from monitoring to active intervention to support the robots in completing their tasks when they face connectivity issues, blocked routes, and various other interruptions on their journeys. The findings highlight the importance of intuitive user interfaces (UIs) and decision-support systems to reduce cognitive load and improve situational awareness. This research contributes to the literature by offering a detailed examination of real-world teleoperation practices and focusing on the human factors influencing LMDR scalability, sustainability, and integration into future-ready logistics systems.

Keywords: teleoperation; last-mile delivery; robots; remote operation; sustainable urban logistics; human–machine interaction; situational awareness; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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