Leave People a Way Out
■ The doors opened, and she still couldn't get off
Takasugi was standing at the back of an elevator. Hakobukun rolled in and spun in place to turn around, pushing her into the far corner. When the doors opened at her floor, Hakobukun was blocking the doorway. "I want to get off!" Hakobukun calmly replied, "My floor is the next one."
■ In a small car, the robot's body becomes a wall
A report on hospital delivery robots in the U.S. (Proof News) described a robot that wedged a staff member into the corner of an elevator so she couldn't get out. A robot small enough to step aside in a hallway leaves no escape inside an elevator car. One spin in place, and there is nowhere left for a person to stand.
■ Conclusion: Stop with room left for people at the door
Shiraishi set a riding rule. When people are aboard, Hakobukun pulls against the wall and keeps the space in front of the doors free. If the car is too full for that, it waits for the next one. "I will keep the door clear." Takasugi, walking out past it: "That's the way."
The tighter the space, the more a robot should think about people's way out first.
